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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990920">Afterglow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancekatrina13/pseuds/dancekatrina13'>dancekatrina13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>and that's the way i loved you [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Harry Potter Next Generation, Lawyers, Professional Quidditch, a love for letters, because we love intelligence, earl grey tea and beer are the only solutions to anything, future possible mentions of sexual assault so pls be warned, injury because you can't be a quidditch player and not get knocked out a couple of times, its mostly fluff with some angst, learning how to lean on others, way too much smirking from both ends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:46:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,296</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancekatrina13/pseuds/dancekatrina13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you go from a girl who doesn't need anyone to a girl who is forced to lean on others?</p><p>Molly Weasley II / OC</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>or the one with way too much smirking, an unhealthy obsession with Earl Grey tea and a girl slowly realizing that it isn't just her against the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Molly Weasley II/Original Male Character(s), Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley, Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>and that's the way i loved you [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970533</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>October 2, 2023</p>
<p>~*~*~</p>
<p>The alarm rings out, and for the millionth time in her life, Molly Weasley has thoughts about chucking the goddamn thing out her window. </p>
<p>If she had known as a little girl that early morning Quidditch practices were a daily thing, she might’ve reconsidered her career path. </p>
<p>She stumbles into the bathroom and steps into the shower, attempting to make herself wake up. She let her hair dry naturally, and put on an old Ravenclaw sweater that had seen too many collisions with the dirt in its short lifespan and pulls some leggings over her legs. She quickly makes some tea –Earl Grey is her favorite– and fishes out her beloved pink mug from the cabinet that is charmed to keep drinks warm. After taking a sip of the tea and deeming it satisfactory, she double checks that she has everything she needs before apparating to the Holyhead Harpies practice facility. </p>
<p>And as she lands in the locker room and sees her teammates sleepily getting ready for their 7 a.m. fitness session, she’s assured, like she is everyday, that she wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. </p>
<p>Molly Evelyn Weasley has always been competitive, starting from when she was a little girl. When her sister Lucy was born, the competitiveness got even more intense. They competed in everything, from things like who could get to the dining room faster to who could hug their father the fastest when he came home from work. Molly’s almost convinced Lucy grew to hate the urge that she always had to win, but she’s her sister, so she has no choice. </p>
<p>Everyone in the Weasley family expected Molly to take after her parents. Percy is the most uptight compared to his six other siblings (honestly, Nana Weasley has something magical in her to be able to deal with all of her kids) and Audrey wasn’t exactly wild either, though she is definitely more carefree than her husband. But, as she grew older, Molly’s hotheadedness was blaringly obvious and different from her parents. Her cousin Vicki once called Molly “a giant spitball of fire and smiles,” something that people close to Molly can’t disagree with.</p>
<p>Molly ties up her trainers and grabs her cup of tea before following her teammates to the gym. The seeker, Lindsey Sansoucy, nudges her and glances at the sweater she is wearing.</p>
<p>“I still can’t believe you were a Ravenclaw.”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes, “Not surprising that you were a Slytherin, considering you’re definitely evil.”</p>
<p>Lindsey snorts, “I don’t think evil is a trait of a Slytherin, Molls.”</p>
<p>Molly sticks her tongue out like a child, “But it might as well be.”</p>
<p>Molly remembers the day she really looked at Lindsey for the first time. Blond hair and blue eyed, one could mistake her as soft and delicate. But as Molly took her place across from Lindsey during a Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw match, Lindsey’s eyes were narrowed and focused, as her high ponytail ensured that her long hair wasn’t going to get in her way of capturing the snitch. Her reputation off and on the field were very similar. From then on, Molly has looked up to Lindsey as a player and always kept track of her career even after she graduated Hogwarts and Molly still had four years left. She didn’t start looking up to Lindsey as a person until she got onto the team, and only then did she find out how loyal and hardworking Lindsey really is. And how she is just a pure joy to be around.</p>
<p>The team goes through the typical jog, lifts and exercises for the next hour with everyone in their own world, some listening to music on their earbuds, some not. Though flying in the air is their primary concern, on-the-ground drills are what keeps them fit. Keeps them athletes.</p>
<p>The Holyhead Harpies has a legendary history, but it’s really the personal connection Molly has with the team that made her want to be a part of it before she even had the opportunity. Her Aunt Ginny retired when she was 6, so she only has a few memories of her actually playing, but Molly knows how good she was. How important she is to the Harpies’ history. And even after Ginny retired, she got free tickets to see the Harpies in action, and often took her son James and her niece Molly, the two kids who took a keen interest in Quidditch since they were able to understand what it was.</p>
<p>When Coach Selwyn approached Molly during her last game for Ravenclaw, she wasn’t expecting anything. She knew scouts had been there all season and that she was on their radar, especially after voicing her interest in going pro, but she tried not to think about it too much, focusing on captaining her team as best as she could. Her backup plan was to work at the law firm with her mom, so she had that to fall back on as she kept going to different open tryouts. But when Coach approached her and offered a spot on the team for the next season, she immediately started crying (and Molly Weasley doesn’t cry).</p>
<p>She didn’t quite realize what that meant even when she ran to Lucy after thanking Coach Selwyn multiple times. Lucy had gasped, wide eyed, Molls, no one has ever gone pro straight after Graduation. It still didn’t sink in, even after there was a family dinner celebrating Vicki and Molly’s graduation and almost every single person brought it up to her throughout the night. When Molly went to her first couple of training sessions, it all felt like a fever dream.</p>
<p>It wasn’t till her first Media Day, where she had to do interviews and get headshots taken for the upcoming season, that she started to realize what a big deal this was. Or how much of a big deal it was to everyone else. Almost every single interviewer called her a “trailblazer,” which deeply confused her. She went home that night to her parents and voiced it all to them, how strange it was to be called that word throughout the day. Her dad just laughed and gave her a big hug, calling it “typical” that she hadn’t realized what exactly she was doing and why people cared.</p>
<p>Because that’s who Molly is. She’s talented, and she definitely knows it, but she just focuses on her goals. What she wants to achieve. She was beyond thankful that the opportunity had even come, that a team even wanted her, but she didn’t realize that being the first person to immediately go pro after school was such a big deal. Being in her family, she has learned to ignore all the incessant talk behind the scenes.</p>
<p>As she grabs her broom and shoots up in the air to warm up with a couple of laps, she smiles, remembering how her cousin Albus reacted when she told him the news two years ago. As a little 4th year (though even by then, he had already towered over her), he had given her the tightest hug and placed a small kiss on her hair. He’s probably the cousin that is the most opposite of her, but that’s why they get along so well. While he’s soft, she’s headstrong. While he’s understanding, she’s harsh. He didn’t even say “congratulations” or anything, but she knew that he was extremely proud. He sent her a letter this morning actually, but she hasn’t gotten a chance to read it yet. It’s nice to know that even if she loses everything and has nothing, she will always have her family.</p>
<p>She’s snapped out of her thoughts when one of the chasers, Kelley O’Sullivan, calls out to her in her slight Irish accent, “In your own head again, Molls?”</p>
<p>Molly grins, “Aren’t I always?” </p>
<p>Kelley is the newest member of the team, only coming in a couple months ago after an incredible couple of seasons with the Ballycastle Bats in her home country. She’s the one Molly looks to when she needs a laugh or a distraction, but Kelley’s also a player who has so much experience and reads the game so well. She’s part of the chaser trio with Emma and Emily Duquette. The twins are as dedicated and kind as they come and those three can practically read each other’s minds. The keeper is Samantha Kessler, or Sammy Girl as everyone fondly calls her. She’s the girl that Molly could depend on in any situation, which speaks greatly to Sammy’s Hufflepuff ways. The other beater, Molly’s other half, is Heather Chapman, who is also the captain. Heather’s the oldest member of the team, and played with Aunt Ginny during her last two seasons. She’s also the only one in her team who has ever been to a World Cup. She’s the epitome of a leader and all the girls are honored to be able to call her a teammate.</p>
<p>Molly had been a bit weary, coming into a team where the youngest besides her was Emily and Emma, who were still four years older than her. It was new territory for her. She didn’t want the others to think that she didn’t deserve to be there, and from the very first day, she has pushed herself to continue working hard to ensure her teammates and everyone else that she deserves a spot on this team and that Coach approaching her at her last Hogwarts game wasn’t a fluke. But she didn’t need to worry about proving to her teammates that she belonged here, because the first time she landed in the stadium, Sammy barreled over to her, claiming to have seen her games at Hogwarts. Even I haven’t been as upset the last couple years when Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw with a beater like you. You’re insane, girl! And you’re so young. I don’t even wanna think about how talented you’ll be when you’re my age. And Molly didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore. </p>
<p>After running drills for what seemed like days on end, but was only actually the usual 4 hours, Coach finally calls it a day. The team puts the equipment back where it needs to go and hit the locker room and the showers, desperate to get warm water to soothe their aching muscles.</p>
<p>“Any fun plans tonight, girlies?” Kelley pipes up from her stall as the water is beating down on the ground. </p>
<p>“It’s Mark and I’s two year anniversary, so I think he’s cooking my favorite and we’re just gonna stay in and chill,” Sammy shouts out. “He’s been exhausted with the Aurors recently, so I think we’ll both be pretty tired.” </p>
<p>“That’s adorable, Sammy.”</p>
<p>“Disgusting. Relationships are gross.”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes at Heather and Emma, “Ignore Em, Sammy Girl. That’s quite cute.”</p>
<p>Lindsey snorts as Molly shuts off the shower. Only Molly can hear the snort because Lindsey’s stall is right next to hers, “Adorable? Who is Molly Weasley and what have you done with her?” Molly rolls her eyes, “Speaking of relationships, little buttercup, anything in the works with you?”</p>
<p>She shuts off her shower and lets out a bark of laughter as she starts drying her hair, “Linds, you know I would’ve told you guys. Haven’t been in anything serious since-”</p>
<p>“Matt, yeah. We know. But he was an idiot anyways.” Molly hums and tries not to spiral again over the only romantic relationship she’s ever had and ended in a way she’d rather forget about, but still plagues her mind two years later. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, starting out as a simple date to Hogsmeade. But it turned serious fast. Matthew Corsie was charming. He was kind. He was funny. He was supportive. They were together for 7 months, until she caught him shoving his tongue down Erica Summers’s throat during the last big party of the year. And it shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. They hadn’t been dating for that long, and Molly knew she was never going to marry the first person she dated (though that tactic has proven to work in her family), but it left a giant pit in her stomach. Especially when she found out that he had been cheating on her for the last 3 months of their relationship and it wasn’t just a drunken mistake. It stung that someone didn’t think she deserved respect to even be broken up with first before pursuing someone else.</p>
<p>Kelley gives Molly a knowing look as she dresses in the sweater and leggings that she had come to practice in, “We just want you happy. We’re not trying to push anything. I hope you know that.”</p>
<p>Molly offers her a small smile, “I know, Kel. I know you guys are just trying to look out for me, and thank you for that, really. I’m just not looking for anything right now.”</p>
<p>“Well, I can’t wait to see the day when Molls introduces us to someone. They’ll have to pass the test, you know.”</p>
<p>Molly furrows her eyebrows at Heather, “What test?”</p>
<p>Emily, who had been quiet throughout this whole exchange, cackles, “You’ll find out, little chickie.” Chickie. Her acquired nickname on the team for seemingly no reason. Molly could live with it though. She would jump in front of the Hogwarts Express for every single one of these girls.</p>
<p>~*~*~*~</p>
<p>She doesn’t even get a chance to sit down and relax until after making some chicken and rice for dinner. With a cup of tea, she tucks her leg underneath herself while picking up the letter from Al.</p>
<p>Hi Molls!</p>
<p>I’ve missed you!!! No one here truly understands my love for braiding ): Lily won’t even let me experiment on her, since she’s always hanging out with some boy named Elliot. Don’t tell James I said that though. He seriously needs to let her make her own mistakes. </p>
<p>I don’t know if Lu has told you anything, but Hogwarts is doing this whole arts initiative thing and it starts in a couple of weeks. There’s gonna be singers and artwork so it should be fun. I think they’re asking Lu to dance and to reach out to anyone she knows who dances. James is actually going to be singing, which is just so funny. But he’s only doing it for Crystal, who can’t seem to get it in her mind that she’s actually decent at it. She’s so fucking annoying.</p>
<p>How are you? Kicking ass in the Harpies? Who am I kidding, you definitely are, considering that you can lift probably more than me which is just embarrassing. You’re still shorter than me, so at least I got that going for me. But really, I can’t wait to catch a game soon and see you in action. Also, you gals are predicted to win the League Cup even though it’s months away, and I know that some of that has to be due to their kickass beater who literally cannot go through a game without getting a foul and giving a smirk to the opposition. It used to drive our team insane.</p>
<p>But really, I miss you Molls. Maybe when more details get ironed out you can come out to see Lu dance and James sing? I know you’re super busy and Christmas will be shortly after, but I’m sure the school would love to have the infamous Molly Weasley back in the vicinity. I’d also just love to give you a hug.</p>
<p>Love always, <br/>Al</p>
<p>She smiles as she reads through the familiar messy scrawl that is her cousin’s handwriting. She goes to her room to grab some parchment and a quill, and finishes up her tea before writing back. She’ll send it in the morning before training.</p>
<p>Al,</p>
<p>I miss you too! Seems like yesterday when I pushed you into the lake at Shell Cottage. Yes, I did push you even though I blamed it on Vicki. Sue me! Work is good! Harpies are great, teammates are amazing, training is exhausting but so rewarding. Our last couple of games have gone really well, except the one against Puddlemere, but fuck them, right?</p>
<p>Lu actually sent me a letter a couple days going on and on about how she was excited that dancers were going to be included too. It would’ve been annoying if I wasn’t her sister. But that actually sounds so cool. I wish Hogwarts organized something fun like this when I was there. And of course I’ll try to see my talented family members in action. I’ll have to see when we’re let out for Christmas break.</p>
<p>I actually got my schedule for the next month yesterday, and I have a day off the day of the season opener! Obviously, you both aren’t as good as the Claws, but I’ll make an exception for you, James, and Roxie. I’ll even ask your mum if I can borrow some Gryffindor gear, even though it’ll hurt me so much to betray my former house. You guys better kick ass. Slytherin needs to get knocked down a peg or two. Don’t mention that to Lu.</p>
<p>I hope you’re not being too intolerable towards Crystal. I actually like her, and I know you’re rolling your eyes since you claim that you can’t stand her. But she keeps you on your toes, Al, whether you want to admit it or not. It’s always nice to have someone like that in your life.</p>
<p>I really do miss you. Do well in school but make sure you have stories to tell me about your drunken stupors. Love you!<br/>Molly</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi there!!! i hope you enjoy this chapter (and every future one) as much as i love writing it.</p>
<p>thank you for reading, and if you wanna leave some feedback or tell me your favorite line or questions you have about the characters or anything, please feel free to leave a comment! or come find me at dancekatrina.tumblr.com!!! </p>
<p>stay safe. stay well. stay healthy.</p>
<p>much love,<br/>katrina xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I don’t like anyone knowing my name when I don’t know theirs.”</p><p>“You’re gonna have to get used to it,” He sticks out his hand, “Brooklyn. Brooklyn Fawcett. But you can call me Brooks, if you’d like.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>October 31, 2023</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>She can’t believe she’s doing this.</p><p>Ginny and Angelina are smirking, while Harry and George are trying to suppress their laughter. </p><p>“You guys are the worst,” Molly groans, “James, Al and Roxie better fucking love me for this.”</p><p>“Language, young lady,” She merely rolls her eyes at her aunt, since Ginny is smirking. “This is amazing. Molly Evelyn Weasley, a proud Ravenclaw, is decked out in scarlet and gold.” Molly sighs. Ginny and Angelina had practically died of laughter when she told them she was going to support Gryffindor, and were still struggling to breathe as they dug through their drawers to find scarves, sweaters and hats from their old days. At least Molly looks alright, with a scarlet sweater and a gold scarf, with a white hat because she refuses to wear more scarlet or gold. </p><p>She reached out to her aunts and uncles last week, asking if she could tag along with them to their kids’ Quidditch match, to which they happily obliged to. They claim that they don’t see Molly enough anymore, and that the “hot shot Quidditch star has no time for us now” (George Weasley sure is a hoot). A smile spreads across Molly’s face when they near the main entrance, as other excited families and friends blend in with them. There’s nothing like the day of a Hogwarts Quidditch match.</p><p>As usual, she tries to ignore the stunned looks that the family gets as they walk in. It’s been long enough where people don’t ambush her family members anymore, but they still get looks most of the time. Even more so when Ginny and Harry are with them. </p><p>But as they are waiting in line to fill up the stands, Molly feels a tap on her upper thigh. She looks down to see what it was before beaming. A little girl who has a Slytherin hat on smiles back, albeit nervously. Molly has to stop herself from ‘aww’ing out loud, especially when the girl’s hat almost falls over her eyes. </p><p>“Hi there, cutie pie. What can I do for you today?” Molly bends down and smiles. </p><p>The girl’s mother nudges her a bit, “Go on. What did you wanna ask her?”</p><p>“C-can I have y-your autograph?”</p><p>Molly beams as she fishes a pen out of her purse, “Of course you can. Do you have anything I can sign?” She nods vigorously as her mom gives her a little notepad. “Who are you here to see today?” </p><p>The mom chuckles, “My son plays for Slytherin. He’s actually starting his first game today as a second year.” She then ruffles her daughter’s hair, “Little Shannon here just recognized her favorite player and wanted to say hello. Thank you so much.”</p><p>“It’s not a problem at all!” Molly hands the notebook back, “Are you going to Hogwarts soon?”</p><p>Shannon nods excitedly, “Two more years! I want to be in Ravenclaw! I heard they’re smart, and Mum always tells me I’m the smartest girl she’s ever met.”</p><p>Ginny, who had been tuned into the conversation, grins, “Molly was in Ravenclaw too! She’s only supporting Gryffindor today because her cousins play for the team.”</p><p>Shannon’s mouth drops open, “Really? Now I have to be in Ravenclaw!” The three older women laugh. Molly gives the girl one last squeeze as she and her mom go to find the other members of the family.</p><p>Harry pulls Molly into a side hug, “Would you look at that? Someone going up to my niece instead of me for an autograph. What a wonderful day!”</p><p>Molly rolls her eyes, but leans into Harry and gives him a squeeze, “I don’t think I’ll even come close to your level of fame during my lifetime, Uncle Harry, so you don’t need to worry about that.”</p><p>“You handled that like a pro,” George says. “Does that happen a lot?”</p><p>Molly shrugs as she pulls her scarf tighter around her neck. It’s awfully cold today. “A couple times. Usually a day or two after a Harpies match. It’s still a bit weird every time though. Like amazing, but very strange.”</p><p>Angelina smiles softly as they walk towards their seats, “That’s really cool though, that little girls look up to you.”</p><p>Molly lets out a breath, “Yeah, it is very cool.” </p><p>As if Ginny can read Molly’s mind (and she usually can), she nudges her niece and lowers her voice so only Molly can hear, “No overthinking, Molly. You are a great player and a great role model.” She looks past Molly’s head and chuckles, “I think Al is looking for your wise words.”</p><p>Molly turns around to see her cousin on the field waving and scoffs, “He does fine without them. I don’t know why he keeps asking for it.”</p><p>Harry cackles, “Well, he’s not asking them from us!” He gestures for her to go talk to him, “We’ll save you a seat. And get you a butterbeer!”</p><p>“If you get me a cold one, I will never come to a family dinner again!” She yells at her uncle’s retreating back as he goes up the stairs.</p><p>“Ha! Like your Nana would ever let that happen.”</p><p>Molly chuckles to herself as she walks toward the gates that lead toward the field. Luckily, Madam Hooch is by the entrance, and after offering a comment about the signature fouls Molly committed during her time here, Hooch begrudgingly lets her former student onto the field, where Al is kicking around the grass.</p><p>Molly jogs over to him, “Hello, superstar.”</p><p>He looks up and shoots her a quick smile, before giving her a squeeze, “Hey Molls. Thanks for coming.”</p><p>She rolls her eyes, “If training allows me to, I’m always gonna be coming to your matches. Even if it means betraying Ravenclaw.” They both chuckle and as it dies down, she observes Al, who seems lost in thought and is mindlessly watching as people make their way to their seats. Gryffindor versus Slytherin is always the most watched match, as the rivalry lives even after the end of the war. It’s more friendly now, of course, but it still brings a level of intensity no other match can. “What’s different this time?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“You’re always nervous before a match, but what’s different?” Al looks towards his older cousin sharply before sighing. Molly may not be one of the most attentive people in the world, but she’s always been able to crack Al. </p><p>“I can’t fuck it up for him.” Oh. Him. His brother. Molly’s cousin. James Potter. The Gryffindor captain. The one who she spent hours and hours on end in the Burrow’s backyard when they were younger flying around. The one who also wants to go pro. The one who is probably one of Molly’s biggest supporters. </p><p>“Al, how would you fuck it up for him?”</p><p>“Losing the game would be one way,” He snaps back. Al rarely snaps.</p><p>“First of all, you know and I know that with the skill that Gryffindor has and the way that James has drilled you guys all season, it will be very hard for Slytherin to even come close. And you’re good, Al.” She really means that. He’s one of the fastest fliers she’s ever seen.  “Even if you don’t catch the snitch, the scouts don’t necessarily look at the game as a whole. But don’t worry about that, because you’ll catch it.” Al nods and rolls his shoulders back, cracking his neck.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah I will. Thanks Mol. And congrats on the win yesterday! When the bludger hit Garrett Wells’s face I literally couldn’t stop cheering. James’s eyes were about to bug out of his head.” She rolls her eyes, but is slightly pleased that her cousins ware keeping up with her playing in the League.</p><p>She slowly backs away and winks, “I should let you go before James rips your head off. Go show Slytherin why you’re the defending champs.” She smiles as he places a quick kiss on her cheek before retreating back to the locker rooms. She’d never admit it, but she loves kisses on the cheek. Molly lets out a heavy breath and closes her eyes, letting herself briefly go back to when she used to play on these fields. </p><p>Molly had gotten a spot on the team after tryouts during her second year as a little, but confident Ravenclaw. Even back then, she just loved playing Quidditch, whether it was with her little cousins or with her aunts and uncles. There was nothing more freeing than being in the air. Throughout her years, she became the one to fear. Ravenclaw didn’t win the House Cup as much as other houses, but Molly Weasley was always the player to watch. She always holds her bat with confidence, never so much even wobbles on her broom and plays with a bite, always feeling like she has something to prove. At Hogwarts, no matter how experienced her opponents were, they always feared her, even when she was a little second year. Even in her professional career, the most decorated players often agree that they dread facing Molly. She cherishes her Hogwarts playing days greatly. It’s where she developed her game and learned what it meant to be a good teammate and an effective leader. She was always destined for more than Hogwarts Quidditch, anyone who can recognize talent knows that, but there’s nothing like wearing the blue and bronze and hearing the cheers of friends after a spectacular hit.</p><p>She jogs back to the stands, where Harry is waiting with a butterbeer (a steaming hot one, thank goodness). She thanks him, checking the time on her watch, “15 more minutes!”</p><p>“Miss these days, Mol?” George asks, taking a swig of his butterbeer (he got a cold one, the lunatic).</p><p>She chuckles, “Nothing beats playing with the number 5 in the blue and bronze, but no. Bigger and better things, right?” She nods to the opposite site of the pitch, “Is that Dansby?”</p><p>Aunt Angelina squints her eyes, “I think so. Puddlemere’s coach, right?”</p><p>Molly snorts, “That game we had against them was bullshit.”</p><p>Ginny barks with laughter, “Molly, you know that that play was borderline dirty.” She’s referencing when Molly gave up a foul towards the end of the match. It cost the Harpies the game, though Molly still thinks it shouldn’t have been a foul in the first place.</p><p>She rolls her eyes, “It’s not my fault that I’m a bit more aggressive than most. Some factors I can’t control.” How was she supposed to know that the seeker on Puddlemere couldn’t get out of the way quick enough?</p><p>Harry smiles with a twinkle in his eye, “If England wants a chance at winning the finals in two years, Coach Spinnett should surely be considering you.” Molly waves him off at the mention of the English National Team’s head coach, but he counters, “I’m serious, Molly. There’s no way she can’t be looking at you, right?” He turns to his wife, the former professional player and current Sports Editor and Analyst for the Daily Prophet, for backup. </p><p>Ginny bites her lip, as the audience starts getting louder with the players coming out any moment, “Obviously, the game has changed since I played and I don’t know exactly what Alicia’s strategy is, but Harry’s right. You’re on their radar, you have to be. I mean, you’re the first player ever to go professional right after graduation, and that’s not a fluke. Plus the Harpies are starting off very well this season, and you have a big part in that.”</p><p>“The English Team has a couple of friendlies at the end of the year, right?”</p><p>Molly nods at George’s question, “Yeah, and I think the roster is supposed to be announced within the next two weeks.”</p><p>Ginny smiles, “Well, good luck Molls. We’re always behind you.” Molly smiles before they turn their attention to the field. “Damn, Williams is here too, from Appleby Arrows.”</p><p>She snorts, “You doubt your own son, Aunt Ginny?”</p><p>“Yeah, Gin, that’s pretty low!” George pipes in as Aunt Angelina rolls her eyes, “You do have a point though. Scouts from two very reputable teams here for the first match? They must be really interested in him.”</p><p>“If anyone was to go pro right after graduation, I really thought it would’ve been him,” Molly is interrupted when they all cheer as Gryffindor’s lineup is announced. “Like, out of everyone in this family, he was the clear star from the start.”</p><p>Harry laughs, “Even to this day, you really underestimate your talent, Mols. It was a no brainer to any of us that you did what you did.”</p><p>“I mean, I know I’m good, but I didn’t think I was like, that good,” She smirks as Angelina chuckles. With that, the players have gathered at their starting positions and are waiting for Hooch’s whistle. Molly sees a hit of a smirk on Al’s face as Crystal looks back to him, rolling her eyes and flipping him the bird. Molly chuckles. Al rarely smirks. A Malfoy and a Potter. She wonders what her ancestors would think if they were still alive. </p><p>The game is fast paced and filled with excitement, as Gryffindor and Slytherin games always are. And of course, there are always fouls, or fouls that should’ve been called. When one of Slytherin’s chasers basically rams into Scorpius, the family is all up on their feet yelling (“Hooch must be getting blind with old age, that was clearly a foul!”) James makes a particularly fantastic goal on a play with Crystal that has to have caught the scouts’ eye. In typical fashion, the game is super close throughout, and when Al catches the snitch after a long chase with Slytherin’s Seeker, Saffron Greengrass, the team celebrates on the sidelines as the Gryffindor supporters erupt in excitement. Even a former Claw like Molly is jumping out of her seats (“Hey! I’m always happy for a quality Quidditch match”). The family go toward the field to congratulate the winners as people start emptying out the stands. James comes up to Molly first, smiling and giving her a kiss on the cheek, before saying a quick hello to his parents and his uncle and aunt. He then gets whisked away to meet with the scouts, only after Molly whispers, “You got this” at him. </p><p>Al comes up to his family and gives Molly a tight but brief hug, because after greeting them, he bounces over to Crystal, as he has apparently made a bet that he’s won and keeps bothering her about. She’s rolling her eyes, but Molly catches a hint of a smile as Al’s sweaty ass places a wet kiss on her cheek. She’ll have to grill him about that more during Christmas break. Al only reserves behavior like that, unabashed and unashamed, for people he actually cares about. </p><p>After giving Roxie a tight squeeze and giving her sister a hug as well as a teasing remark about the massive hangover she is sure to have in the morning, they all venture out of the pitch. Molly grins, albeit a bit sadly, as she knows that with the win and the fact that it’s Halloween, there’s definitely going to be a party tonight. Those were always the times in school where she made some of the best memories with her friends. </p><p>After eating a quick dinner at the Three Broomsticks with her aunts and uncles, she apparates back to her place and decides that she is going to have a quiet night in with a book and some wine. In the midst of pulling off her Gryffindor gear (that will never be worn again), she hears a crack from her kitchen.</p><p>“Molly, your place is actually super clean. I’m surprised.” Molly rolls her eyes go herself as she hears Kelley’s voice ring out. </p><p>After putting on an old oversized sweater that was once Louis’s, Molly walks out of her room, “Nice of you to pop by. Unannounced.”</p><p>Molly hates when people come to her place without a warning and Kelley knows that, but if she hears her friend’s hostile tone, she doesn’t take note of it, peeling her eyes away from an old photograph of Lucy and Molly that’s hung up on the wall and immediately shields her own eyes, “Put some pants on, woman! Goodness gracious.”</p><p>Molly smirks, “Not in my own house, Kel. What do you want?”</p><p>Kelley claps her hands in glee, “Change into something cuter and put some pants on, Mols! We’re going out tonight.”</p><p>Molly raises her eyebrows, skeptic, “We are?”</p><p>“Yes! The whole team is at Star. Even Heather! She got Nate to babysit for the night,” Molly is still skeptical at the mention of Star, short for the Tellstone Star, which is one of the best bars in London. As a professional athlete, she definitely doesn’t drink as much as she used to back at Hogwarts (though to be fair, it was really only one time when Ravenclaw kicked Gryffindor’s ass that she really went all out) and she spends most of her Friday nights letting her body relax and catching up on sleep and reading, usually bouncing into her parents’ or another family member’s for dinner. Sometimes she bothers Vicki, but she’s usually with Ted or out with her Witch Weekly friends. Plus, Vicki always claims that seeing Molly on Fridays as well as their weekly lunches on Sundays are “too much Molly Weasley for me,” whatever the hell that means.</p><p>Molly makes herself and Kelley a cup of tea, mulling over the idea of going out tonight. The team has tomorrow off, so being hungover isn’t an issue. It’s always fun going out with the teammates, and seeing Heather, who has a 4 year old and a 6 month old at home, trying to down some shots is something Molly has been aching to see. The downside is that she tries to avoid bars on Friday nights, especially on big nights like Halloween, filled with men and women who want something quick. Something to grab onto for a single night. It’s all part of it, no matter how much she doesn’t want it to be. She’s young. She’s attractive. She’s single. She knows how it works. But every time someone comes up to her to try to buy her a drink or chat her up, she immediately plasters on a fake smile, trying to be polite, yet wanting nothing more than to get out of there. She’s just not for it, never understands the appeal of something so temporary and fleeting.</p><p>Kelley takes her tea and rolls her eyes, “I can literally see you thinking, you crazy Ravenclaw. Don’t worry, I will scare away all the bad and annoying men away from you.”</p><p>Molly takes a sip of her own tea before scoffing, “No you won’t. You’ll be challenging Emily to a shots contest even though you know you can’t win. But fine, I’ll come out, but only because Heather is too. I can’t wait to see her drink like she still thinks she’s 20.”</p><p>Kelley rolls her eyes, “Not all of us are still young like you, little Molly.” She gestures for her teammate to get up, “Now get up, put on something presentable.” Molly ruffles Kelley’s hair and runs to her room before Kelley can smack her. Molly ends up going for a look she always has when she has to be in public and not in practice gear. A chestnut brown tank top that flows out at the ends with a pair of black skinny jeans. She brushes her fingers through her hair and grabs a denim jacket before going back out to Kelley, who has started occupying her time by flipping through this week’s edition of the Daily Prophet that’s on Molly’s coffee table.</p><p>Kelley looks to her friend and whistles, “This is so unfair. You look good without even trying.”</p><p>Molly scoffs, putting on her beloved white trainers, “Oh please. With that top and that skirt and those legs?”</p><p>She waves her friend off, “You are too kind. Anyways off we go! Everyone’s there already, since no one could get a hold of you while you were at the match. I told Lindsey to order you a beer.”</p><p>“Thank Merlin,” Molly finishes off the last of her tea. “Alright, let’s do this.” She reaches out for Kelley and side apparates them to the entrance of Tellstone Star. Molly widens her eyes at the amount of people that are on the other side of the door. “Seems like it’s a party in there.”</p><p>“It’s Friday, Mols. Of course it’s a party,” She shoots one last stunning smile before dragging Molly by the hand through the door.  It’s dark, almost eerily so, with the exception of a few lanterns in the air. The music is blasting (and very shit music, Molly mentally notes) and the dance floor is full. There are multiple booths all around and they’re mostly filled. The alcohol itself is in the corner of the room, as the bartenders tend to the customers non stop but always with a genuine smile. Kelley sees their teammates in one booth. “Look who’s here!”</p><p>“Molly!”</p><p>“How are ya, Chickie?”</p><p>Molly rolls her eyes at the latter, “Heather, how much have you had?”</p><p>Heather grins, eyes a little dazed, “Not enough! Haven’t been this drunk since Nate’s sister’s wedding, and I don’t plan on stopping!”</p><p>Lindsey scooches over so Molly can sit down, and Molly smiles to thank her, taking a large sip of the full bottle of beer on the table, “Please tell me I don’t have to babysit tonight.”</p><p>Sammy, who is sipping red wine (at a bar?), snorts, “Molly, you rarely come out with us. If anything, we want you to get smashed tonight. Maybe even find someone?”</p><p>Molly winks, “I’m not really a dine and dash kind of gal, Sammy Girl. I’m slowly starting to give up on men.”</p><p>Emily’s eyes widen, excited, “Ooo, is that you saying that you’re into girls now? I mean, it’s definitely a better market, I’d say.”</p><p>Emma, who has been uncharastically quiet this whole time, cackles, “Are you suggesting yourself, my dear twin?”</p><p>Molly rolls her eyes, “Emily, you know I love you. But we all know your type, and it’s not me.”</p><p>Emily gasps loudly, always the dramatic drunk, “What do you mean? Of course you’re my type!”</p><p>Heather snorts, “I don’t even come out with you guys that much, and even I know that’s not true. Molly’s too…”</p><p>“Mean?”</p><p>“Intimidating?”</p><p>“Hot?”</p><p>Molly laughs, sits back and drinks her beer as Emily tries to defend herself, even though they all know that it’s useless. Emily always goes for the sweet and quiet to balance out her chaotic and crazy. Heather talks about the shenanigans that went on during the last World Cup (lots of horrible dancing and broken bones, apparently) that leaves the younger ones laughing, Sammy even choking on her wine. When people’s glasses start emptying, including her own beer bottle, Molly volunteers to go get another round. She’s being shouted at with very specific orders (as if she doesn’t already know them), and rolls her eyes as she heads towards the bar. She places the orders, and the friendly bartender tells her that he will deliver it to their table in a couple of minutes, since the Harpies are secretly a bunch of alcoholics and order way too many drinks when they go out. Coach Selwyn would most definitely have their heads if she knew just how much. He slides Molly’s beer over to her first as he goes to make the other drinks, and she decides to slip into an empty seat and observe her surroundings. She recognizes a couple of familiar faces belonging to people who are older than her at Hogwarts, but no one she particularly wants to catch up with. She’s come to realize that the magical community in Great Britain is smaller than one may think. </p><p>“Looking for someone?”</p><p>She whips her head around to the man that has just occupied the seat next to her. She narrows her eyes, “What’s it to you?”</p><p>The brunette chuckles, “You’re scanning your eyes through the crowd. I figured you were trying to place a face.”</p><p>Molly shrugs, taking a long sip of her beer, “When you’ve lived around here long enough, you tend to recognize most faces. Doesn’t mean I’m looking for anyone.”</p><p>His eyebrows shoot up as he briefly breaks eye contact with her, accepting a drink from the bartender and smiling, “Fair enough. You come around here often?”</p><p>She can’t help but chuckle. That’s a line that never works on her, but his smirk and twinkling (like actually twinkling) eyes glue her to her seat, “Nah, I don’t go out much. Only here because my teammates dragged me out.” She nods to the booth, where the drinks have just been delivered and Kelley and Emily are starting a shots contest that Emily will most definitely. win.</p><p>The stranger gives a tight-lipped smile, “Ah, right. I figure it’s a day off for the Holyhead Harpies tomorrow?”</p><p>“How do you know who we are?”</p><p>He snorts, downing his shot, “I don’t live under a rock, Molly Weasley.”</p><p>“I don’t like anyone knowing my name when I don’t know theirs.”</p><p>“You’re gonna have to get used to it,” He sticks out his hand, “Brooklyn. Brooklyn Fawcett. But you can call me Brooks, if you’d like.”</p><p>She shakes his hand and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, “You’re not from around here.”</p><p>He chuckles as she references his accent, “I’m from the US. Georgia, specifically. I went to Ilvermorny.”</p><p>“What brings you to London, then?”</p><p>He smirks and her stomach flips. Flips. “This seems a bit unfair. Isn’t it my turn to ask you a question?”</p><p>She rolls her eyes and fiddles with the ring on her finger, making sure to keep eye contact, “If you know my name, I’m sure you know the basics.”</p><p>“I mean sure. First player to ever go pro immediately after school, but that’s not really Molly Weasley, is it now?” He scoots his chair closer to her. “I’ll humor you, though. I work at Crestfall and Williams.”</p><p>She hums, “A lawyer at the best firm on this side of the pond, huh? You’re a smart one.” Molly doesn’t want to let him know how genuinely impressed she is. Crestfall and Williams is the best law firm in Great Britain, and Brooklyn doesn’t seem that much older than her. He must be really damn good if he has already landed a job at a firm with some of the most renowned lawyers in the world. Molly’s respect for him increases ever so slightly. As a Ravenclaw, she always appreciates someone who can hold their ground, intelligence wise. She’s the only Ravenclaw in her family, and sometimes, she wishes she can connect with someone on a level only the blue and bronze can.</p><p>Molly’s eyes flickers over to her teammates, as Lindsey is not so subtly trying to get her to come back. She ignores Lindsey and rests her chin on her hand, “You here alone?”</p><p>His eyes widen for a split second, before his lips settle into a smirk again. He might smirk more than Molly does, which is a feat in itself, “What’s it to you?”</p><p>She smiles, almost charmed at the way he’s engaging her in conversation. She can’t quite place her finger on it, but he makes her feel immediately at ease.“It’s just interesting that you would come up to a lonely girl at a bar without any motive. Seems unlikely.”</p><p>He takes the blunt comments with grace, something that Molly rarely encounters with anyone she talks to, “I was doing the exact same thing you were. Taking a break from my friends.” He nods over to a booth on the opposite end of the room that’s occupied with five guys. “We just closed a really big case this morning, so we’re here to celebrate.”</p><p> “Well, congratulations.” She can feel Lindsey’s glare on the back of her neck, and decides it’s time to cut this conversation short. “Go celebrate with your friends. I think mine might come over and embarrass me if I don’t head back soon.”</p><p>He gets the hint, and takes his (newfly filled) drink and stands up with a smile, “You don’t seem like the kind of person who gets embarrassed.”</p><p>She narrows her eyes, hoping that she’s suppressing her smile enough so that he can’t see, “You seem to think you know a lot about me.”</p><p>He grins, “You don’t seem like someone who lays everything out on the table.” He gestures toward the booth filled with her teammates, who all are staring, unashamed. If her teammates are anything, they’re nosy. “I’ll let you get back to them. See you around, Molly Weasley.”</p><p>Molly slips out of her seat with a wave before grabbing her almost-empty beer and going back to her friends. Before she can even sit down, Sammy slaps her arm. </p><p>“Did someone just hit on you, and did you actually look like you were mildly enjoying it?”</p><p>She shrugs, “I guess. What?” She protests after seeing all the looks she’s getting. “Just because he was cute and nice enough doesn’t mean I wanna marry him.”</p><p>Emma blinks, “But Mol, you never like it when anyone tries to hit on you.”</p><p>She finishes off her beer, deciding that she needs to transition to harder alcohol if she wants to forget the way her stomach flipped when Brooklyn smirked at her, “He was nice enough.”</p><p>“Molly. He’s hot and into you. And you didn’t walk away. That’s gotta mean something.”</p><p>She rolls her eyes, “Linds, I’m probably never going to see him again.” She gestures to the shots that haven’t been taken by Emily or Kelley. “Please pass over a shot.”</p><p>And the rest of the night is filled with just that. More shots, more laughs and trying to ignore the urge to look over to the other side of the room and search for a pair of green eyes.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p>Lu, </p><p>My dearest sister!!! You never write me anymore, which I will verbally yell at you about when I see you next. Actually, maybe I should hound Mum. She’d have your head if she knew how little you wrote me.</p><p>Kidding!</p><p>Anyways, I haven’t officially congratulated you on your dance audition yet! Steps? That’s insane, little sissy. Though I am not surprised whatsoever. With all the weekends you spend at the studio and your sheer tenacity, it’s a no brainer that the best dance company in Britain wants you to be on their team. I am super super proud of you, and I know that you have officially taken the favorite child (though you took that a long time ago, let’s be honest). </p><p>I hope that 7th year is going well!! Ah, the good old days. Cherish it, little sis, before you and your friends don’t get to see each other everyday anymore. Any guys in your life? If you bring someone home for Christmas, I think I’ll actually die of laughter, especially when Dad tries to threaten him. </p><p>Please write back so I don’t feel pathetic. I can’t wait to see you over Christmas!<br/>
Love always,<br/>
Molly</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Didn’t expect to see you so soon.”</p><p>She instinctively rolls her eyes, “You’re at the Holyhead Harpies stadium. If anyone doesn’t belong here, it’s you.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>November 17, 2023</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>Molly doesn’t get called up for the friendlies. </p><p>And as much as she keeps denying it to her parents, she’s really bummed about it. </p><p>When she pops over to Vicki’s the morning after the roster dropped, she didn’t know what to expect. Molly rarely pops by unannounced, and they had just had their daily Sunday brunch yesterday. She doesn’t even know if her cousin is home. But she is, as Vicki is sitting on the couch reading a newspaper when Molly apparates into her cousin’s kitchen. There’s a steaming pot of coffee on the counter. Coffee is her comfort drink; the thing that she craves after a hard game or when her head refuses to sit still. Vicki is waiting for her.</p><p>“How’d you-”</p><p>“Mol, we’ve literally grown up together. Of course I know,” Vicki gets up and hugs her cousin from behind, “I’m sorry, Mols.”</p><p>Molly shrugs, shakingly taking a giant sip of coffee, “It’s not that big of a deal.”</p><p>“No, don’t do that,” Vicki shakes her head adamantly. “It’s shitty, and you can say that. You’ve been working really hard. It’s okay to be pissed about something like this.”</p><p>Molly chuckles, though dejectedly, “It’s just that, as each roster keeps dropping, Spinnett is narrowing down her team for the World Cup. If I can’t even get on the roster for some friendlies, there’s no way that I’ll make the roster come 2025.”</p><p>Vicki shrugs, “Sure, this is a setback, but you don’t give up, Molly. Like, it’s literally not possible for you to give up. But, if you want to forget about it for the morning, I’m your distraction!” She offers a pointed look, “But, if you want to rant about it more, that’s okay too.”</p><p>Vicki knows her older cousin scarily well. Growing up only two months younger, Vicki probably knows Molly better than Molly knows herself. Vicki’s beautiful, and not only because she’s part Veela. Her blonde hair, that’s pin straight without needing any beauty charm, falls down her shoulders, often covering up the tattoo that she has along her collarbone (“vaillant coeur rien d’impossible” which translates to “for a valiant heart, nothing is impossible”). Her blue eyes are always soft, never filled with intentions to hurt. As a young fashion designer, Vicki is a trailblazer of her own, opting to start her own brand straight out of school rather than work for someone else. Those two girls compliment each other well, with Vicki’s soft smile and Molly’s loud laugh. With Vicki’s elegant mannerisms and Molly’s harsh ones. But more important than anything is their trust for each other. Especially during the times where they don’t want to vocalize how they’re feeling. They just already know.</p><p>Molly smiles sadly, “Can we go to Lavelle’s? I’m craving their waffles right now.”</p><p>At the mention of Molly’s favorite cafe, Vicki rolls her eyes, “We literally just went there yesterday, but because you’re sad, then fine.” Molly scoffs before grabbing her cousin’s hand and waving her wand. The girls grab a seat near the window, as Bonnie, their favorite waitress says hello and rushes off to put their usual orders in. “I know I don’t know anything about sports, but you still have time. You prove yourself with Harpies every week. Even Ted’s loyalty to his beloved Tornadoes is wavering. Maybe Spinnett is weary about the head.”</p><p>Molly sighs, but appreciates that Vicki is playing Devil’s Advocate, “That’s fair. But that’s not my fault.”</p><p>“You’re a Beater though. Out of everyone on the pitch, you have one of the highest chances of getting injured. That might be a big risk at a World Cup. ” </p><p>Magic can solve many things, but when a severe head injury is involved, it can’t even completely heal that. During a game against Hufflepuff during Molly’s 7th year, a Bludger knocked into her head. Hard. She doesn’t remember anything except waking up 3 days later at Mungo’s with Lucy slapping her in the face. She still has to go in for monthly check ups and Coach Selwyn occasionally pulls her out of their extra long practices early, saying that she “doesn’t want to fuck up her head more than it already is,” which Molly would’ve found offensive if it wasn’t Coach. The injury has definitely hurt Molly not just physically, but maybe more so mantally. It took her a lot of self reflection and talks with her friends and family to get her to keep going, to keep playing Quidditch. Because there was a point where she thought it was all over. </p><p>Vicki was the main catalyst that pushed her forward.</p><p>Molly drums her fingers against the coffee cup, “Do you think I still have a chance though?”</p><p>With an eyebrow raised, Vicki shoots right back, “Molly, when has that ever mattered to you?”  </p><p>Molly switches topics, suddenly tired of talking about her career, “How’s Ted doing? Still trying to fit in with the kids at Hogwarts even though he teaches there now?”</p><p>Vicki grins, as she always does when her boyfriend is mentioned. “Of course he is. He says that he’s one of the favorite professors now, but I don’t think that’s true.” </p><p>“When is he gonna propose?” </p><p>Vicki and Ted Lupin, who’s basically been a part of the Weasley family since he was born, are the definition of the gross couple who you can’t help but love because you can see how much they love each other. With Molly being best friends with Vicki, it also means that Ted is a very close friend as well, but ever since he took the job as DADA professor at Hogwarts, Molly hasn’t seen him much. He only comes to see Vicki on the weekends, so she figures she should let them spend their time with each other. </p><p>Most say Vicki Weasley and Teddy Lupin are bound to be together, but for people who know them well, they know that it’s more than that. Their relationship has not been easy, with Teddy being a loud Gryffindor and brash and bold and sometimes arrogant and Vicki being a quiet Hufflepuff and loyal and timid and sometimes a pushover. But they’ve always mellowed each other out from the start. They’ve helped each other grow. And along the way, they fell in love with each other. Hard. If Molly has to share her best friend with anyone, she’s glad it’s someone as great, genuine and warm as Ted.</p><p>Vicki’s natural smile wavers ever so slightly, “Well, about that...”</p><p>“Don’t tell me you guys broke up.”</p><p>She snorts, “No, actually. The opposite.” Molly’s eyes widen. Vicki’s mouth broke out into a giant grin. </p><p>“Victorie Clara!” Molly lowers her voice after receiving a dirty look, “Are you telling me that you got fucking engaged and decided to let me rant about my problems before telling me?”</p><p>Vicki puts her hand on the table, which Molly only notices now that it’s been in her lap this whole time. She catches sight of a stunning ring on her cousin’s left hand, “He proposed last night. We were just making dinner and he was trying to cook which we know is never effective and then next thing I know he was down on one knee.”</p><p>Molly grabs her hand to study the beautiful ring more carefully, “And why didn’t you pop in yesterday right after this happened? Vicki!”</p><p>She laughs, “I know you like your alone time after practice, and also-”</p><p>“Bullshit, Victorie.” Molly grins, “Congratulations. Really. I’m so happy for you two.” They are momentarily interrupted as their food comes, Molly’s blueberry waffles and Victorie’s french toast and scrambled eggs. “It’s about damn time too. And the ring is massive! Ted must really like you.” </p><p>Vicki rolls her eyes goodheartedly and casts a glance at her engagement ring that seems to catch every light in the room, “We’re thinking end of May.”</p><p>Molly chokes on a piece of her waffle, “May? That’s so soon. Where is it gonna be?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s a bit soon. But it’s perfect timing. Ted and everyone will be out of school, and I’ll be sure to check the schedule so that you don’t have a game.” Vicki takes a long sip of her orange juice, “Shell Cottage is also the most beautiful that time of the year.”</p><p>Shell Cottage has a special place in their family. They take advantage of the small private beach by Bill and Fleur’s house most summers. It’s a getaway, a place where they can go that’s constant, in its beauty and its privacy. It’s where Molly finds the most solace in her life. Her mind is always running and not many things can hold her attention, but the waves crashing at Shell Cottage during sunset can. Since it’s where Vicki grew up, it felt only fitting that she would want to start the next chapter of her life in the place where the previous one started.</p><p>“Wait a second, have you even told your parents about this yet? Dom and Louis?”</p><p>Vicki chuckles, “I popped by to Mum and Dad’s last night, and I sent Dom and Lou a letter this morning, though I guess Ted could’ve mentioned it them.” She finishes the last of her eggs, shoving a spoonful in her mouth. “I think Dom is gonna be maid of honor, obviously. Ted has always wanted James to be his best man.”</p><p>Cackling, Molly steals a sip of Vicki’s orange juice, “She’d kill you if she wasn’t. I can’t wait to see those two try to deal with each other all the time.” Their large family has a huge variety of personalities, and with Dominique and James together, it wouldn’t be surprising if some curses would be thrown around at the wedding itself. Maybe even a couple of wine glasses shattering.</p><p>“But I also thought about it more this morning, and if you can, I’d really like you to be Maid of Honor.”</p><p>The juice drools down Molly’s chin very gracefully, “What?”</p><p>Victorie, ever the graceful and poise one, just offers a napkin, “Co-Maid of Honor. With Dom. You two are the most important people in my life.”</p><p>“Vicki, are you sure? I won’t be around for planning half the time because of training.”</p><p>“Do you not want to?”</p><p>With a grin, Molly half-heartedly rolls her eyes, “Don’t be ridiculous, of course I do. I just might not be able to pull off some of the duties that would be asked of me, and we all know your wedding is going to be the wedding of the decade.”</p><p>Vicki snorts, “I think the wedding of the century will be when you get married. Can’t wait to see the day that happens.”</p><p>Molly gasps, “Vic, are you insinuating that I’m unmarriable?”</p><p>“No,” She stresses out the end of the word. “You’re Molly. You’re drop dead gorgeous, as smart as Aunt Hermione, and are obviously phenomenal at Quidditch-”</p><p>“Well, thank you for feeding my ego.”</p><p>“I’m not done yet, idiot. My point is, you always had guys, and some girls, chasing you but you didn’t care. You only had eyes on the goal of becoming a professional athlete, and you didn’t stop. It’s a good thing, Mol. I’ve never met anyone as determined and hardworking as you. I just can’t wait to meet someone who will admire your drive and grit, instead of seeing it as an obstacle.”</p><p>Molly smiles softly, “Maybe one day, Vicki. But for now, I’ll focus on being the best Maid of Honor I can be. Better than Dom, at least.”</p><p>Vicki snorts, “Always so competitive.” </p><p>~*~*~</p><p>After the wonderful breakfast with Vicki, she has to go to work, and Molly has to go to the stadium for some interviews. Instead of practice today, it’s like a mini Media Day, where all the members of the team and the staff get interviewed and do all those things to get more publicity. And because the Harpies are surging up in the league standings very early on, everyone’s curious about the players behind the wins. </p><p>The team had to go through brief media training at the start of their careers. What Molly didn’t realize until more recently is how useless that training is, because like many things in life, handling media well only gets better with practice. She remembers being so nervous for interviews during her first season, and even now, some journalists come up with very interesting questions that require careful answers. But she’s grown, and she’s learned that media comes with the job, no matter how much she doesn’t want it to sometimes.</p><p>Molly goes back to her place to change into something that was more presentable, which consisted of a long sleeve white blouse paired with ripped blue jeans and a pair of silver ankle high boots that Rose gave her for her birthday last year. She decides to put her hair into a nicer bun for once rather than her usual messy one before heading to the stadium, slipping her signature sunglasses over her eyes. She’s already a couple minutes late, and hopes no one will notice. </p><p>And obviously, someone notices.</p><p>Sammy, who is grabbing herself a complimentary cup of tea in the break room, smirks, “You’re lucky that Quidditch Daily is still setting up. You’re up for them today.”</p><p>Molly curses, “Shit, it’s my week?” Quidditch Daily is the most prestigious Quidditch publication out there right now, not just in Britain, but internationally. Every week this season, they’ve been doing a spotlight on a player in the league. Somehow, it slipped Molly’s mind that her week was coming up.</p><p>She sighs, mentally kicking herself for not being organized, “Where are they?”</p><p>Sammy nods to the other side of the open-air stadium, “They’re by the locker rooms. It’s nice out, so I think most of our interviews are outside.” Molly shoots one more smile her friend’s way before lightly jogging over to where the magazine is setting up.</p><p>She smiles, flashing her media-friendly charm, “Hi there. I’m Molly. I’m sorry if I’m late!”</p><p>A woman, who has red curly hair and a kind smile, comes up to shake her hand, “You’re all good! I’m Julia. It’s nice to meet you.” Molly shakes her hand with a smile before taking a seat on one of the chairs they set up. She takes in her surroundings as Julia gets her notes ready and the camera crew adjusts their angles. Heather is talking to some men and women in business attire. Lawyers, maybe? Though probably not, as she’s sure someone would’ve brought it up in the team group chat (somewhere between the war and Molly’s birth, the Wizarding World adapted the muggle’s use of cellphones into their world). </p><p>The team’s been talking about a possible lawsuit against the British/Irish Quidditch Association for unequal pay, but it’s under wraps. Or so she thought it was until now, seeing the lawyers talk to Heather, the one taking the reigns of it all, being the most senior member of the team. It’s a big risk, suing the organization that gives them a good amount of funding and exposure, but someone got a hold of the salaries of some of the men’s players on other teams a couple months ago, and there’s no going back. </p><p>After the interview, which is longer than anyone expects but one of the best she’s been a part of, Molly wanders back to the break room and grabs herself a cup of tea. As she’s throwing the teabag out, someone clears their throat.</p><p>Brooklyn is decked out in a more fancy getup than Molly was, with a long sleeve gray button up and black slacks. He has a cup of what she presumed to be tea in his hand, his other hand in his pocket and head ever so tilted to the left, as if she’s the one who shouldn’t be here.</p><p>“Didn’t expect to see you so soon.”</p><p>She instinctively rolls her eyes, “You’re at the Holyhead Harpies stadium. If anyone doesn’t belong here, it’s you.”</p><p>He chuckles, “I would think that one of the players knows about their own lawsuit, but maybe I’m wrong.”</p><p>“You’re working on the case?”</p><p>He shakes his head, “No, well, I don’t think so. Not directly. This case is big, so it’s going to our best.”</p><p>She can’t help but smirk, “And you’re not our best?”</p><p>He winks, and Molly really really hopes that her blush isn’t visible, “Maybe I just have other important things to attend to.” His voice softens into a more serious tone, “This is looking to be a really important and long case that requires a lot of attention. Crestfall and Williams are putting veteran lawyers on this. I’m just here to tag along in an environment and to gain experience. See what the big leagues are like.”</p><p>“And what are your thoughts about it? An environment like this?” She knows she’s pushing and toeing the line. She wants to make him a bit uncomfortable. He always seems to be so confident.</p><p>He bites his lip, looking out towards the hallway as Emma and Emily pass by, one smacking the other’s arm, “It’s much quieter today than usual, first of all.”</p><p>“You’ve been to a match?”</p><p>“My sister wanted to catch a match when she visited, and the Harpies are her favorite team out here. If it were up to me, I would’ve forced her to watch a Puddlemere match.”</p><p>Molly scoffs at the mention of the rival, “Anyone who utters that word here without disgust shouldn’t be allowed.”</p><p>He laughs, “Second of all, it’s quite the office. I can see why you love it.”</p><p>“Do you play?”</p><p>“Nah. I always preferred to be a spectator.”</p><p>She looks into her cup of tea, watching as the liquid swishes when she moves the cup, “I don’t take it for granted. This career, I mean.”</p><p>She feels him step closer but doesn’t look up, “I know you don’t. And the Association is being, and this is off the record, a downright ass about all of this. We’re getting you guys the money you deserve.”</p><p>They hear someone walk into the room and find Lindsey in the midst of taking her hair out of a ponytail, “Oh, there you are. Quidditch Daily interview go alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, hopefully they don’t make me sound too stupid.”</p><p>Lindsey snorts, “That’s not hard to do.” She casts her attention towards the other person in the room and goes to shake his hand, “Hi, I’m Lindsey. Have we met? You look really familiar.”</p><p>He flashes a quick smile, “Brooklyn. And, uh…” He trails off and looks over to Molly, not knowing what he’s supposed to say. Funny that he thinks that, as if Lindsey and the rest of the team haven’t bothered her for the last two weeks about him.</p><p>“He’s the guy I met when we were at Star two weeks ago.”</p><p>Her eyes light up, and Molly silently begs her to not say anything embarrassing, “Oh! You’re Brooklyn. It’s very nice to meet you. Are you a journalist?”</p><p>He laughs, “No, I’m not. I’m a lawyer.”</p><p>Lindsey gives Molly a look that read ‘you didn’t tell me he was hot and smart’ and the latter rolls her eyes, “Are we having a team meeting today, Linds?”</p><p>Lindsey nods, “In 5. Heather is finishing up with the lawyers and Coach is finishing up for the Prophet.” She turns back to Brooklyn, “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll see you around. Finish up your conversation, Mols, or Coach will have your head. She knows you were late this morning.” She winks before walking out. </p><p>A moment of silence envelopes the air between Molly and Brooklyn as they look at each other, before bidding farewell. She can’t help but feel that it’s more than a coincidence, that she went out that night and he happened to come up to her. And now, he’s working at the same firm the team will be working with the next couple of months. </p><p>But Molly isn’t the kind of person to dwell. Or get distracted over something that could be. She doesn’t have time for that. And she won’t let herself have time for that, as the team met up in the locker room and Coach Selwyn goes on about their next game plan for the next week before their game against the Falmouth Falcons.</p><p>She won’t let herself get distracted.</p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>The Bright Future</p><p>It can be easy to forget that Molly Weasley, at the young age of 20, is still new to the Holyhead Harpies, especially after that spectacular hit against the Appleby Arrows on Nov. 13, which resulted in a 380-170 win.</p><p>The Quidditch world was in a frenzy last year when Coach Amanda Selwyn recruited a newly graduated Hogwarts student to her stacked Holyhead Harpies roster. With the retirement of Marianne Cullen, everyone was wondering who would be able to replace a person who had an uncanny connection with captain Heather Chapman. Molly Weasley seems to have slipped into that role without trouble. Weasley gets to play with her idols now, having looked up to every single woman on the Harpies roster while she was playing in the blue and bronze for Ravenclaw.</p><p>But Weasley’s biggest inspirations are people she’s grown up with right by her side. Her cousins are the reason she’s in the position she’s in, helping her and encouraging her as she did some soul searching after that devastating head injury during her Hogwarts days. </p><p>“I had to really sit down and think,” Weasley reflects. “I had to ask myself if this was really what I wanted. And after some wise and sometimes harsh words from my sister and cousins, I decided that I would put my all into this sport.”</p><p>Weasley still doesn’t quite realize how good she is, as she becomes a bit flustered when I list off all her accomplishments and records, or perhaps she just doesn’t like being reminded of it all.</p><p>“I try to ignore the talk as much as I can,” Weasley said. “It can be really distracting if you let it, so I just show up everyday to practice and try to be the best I can be.”</p><p>For more, turn to page 10.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>November 29, 2023</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>She hates hospitals. The smell, the beeps, the rush of healers, the stillness and eeriness among the crazy. But as soon as she steps into that office, her demeanor always softens. </p><p> </p><p>“Any recent close calls?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly rolls her eyes, “Unless you count Emily lightly smacking me with a bat because she was annoyed at me, then no.”</p><p> </p><p>Healer Shilling snorts, used to snarky remarks from his favorite daily patient, “Maybe I should tell her to hit harder next time. Then you’d stop having to bother me every month.” He continues waving his wand over her head, performing the usual check-ups as Molly smiles, full on knowing that he’s the one who adamantly stood by her side right from when Molly got rushed to St. Mungo’s to when someone had to inform her family about all the technical things as she lay motionless on the hospital bed, and that they would have to be supportive during recovery. The one who always does her monthly check ups, because he’s the only person she trusts on medical advice. Molly even went to his wedding last year, her usual teasing and sarcastic smile turning to a soft one as Adam Shilling recited his vows in a banquet hall filled with twinkling lights. </p><p> </p><p>“Is it a risk?”</p><p> </p><p> Healer Shilling blinks, unfazed, used to Molly’s abruptness, “What do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“Am I a risk for a World Cup?” Ever since Vicki voiced that possibility, it hasn’t left Molly’s mind.</p><p> </p><p>He puts down his wand and lets out a deep breath, “You’re getting better, Molly.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not what I asked.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think you’re a risk, but I could see why Spinnet would maybe think so.” </p><p> </p><p>“Are my medical stats not good enough?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, they’ve been consistently improving.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then why would she be worried?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because Quidditch is a dangerous sport. One hit and it could all go wrong.” Molly sighs and lets it go, even though she can tell that Healer Shilling wants to push. He continues asking her questions about how she’s physically feeling, and Molly continues answering them. She can’t blame him for his answer; he’s only being honest, but she wants to direct her frustrations at someone. After giving him a tight hug, Molly walks out of his office, feeling a little dejected.</p><p> </p><p>She turns a corner so fast that she doesn’t even register anything, only that the person she crashes into is taller than her, and that their arms reach out to hold her steady so she doesn’t stumble too much.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m starting to think you have a tracker on me.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course. Of fucking course.</p><p> </p><p>Molly scoffs, tugging her denim jacket closer to her body, “How are you literally everywhere? You’re a lawyer. Isn’t it your job to sit at a desk all day?”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn shoves his hands in his pockets of his slacks, grinning, “Had to talk to a family who’s trying to sue the hospital for malpractice. I would ask you why you’re here, but I’ve come to realize that professional athletes live on their own schedule.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly bites her lip. She doesn’t even know how much he knows about her, as her head injury had made news simply because she’s Molly Weasley. But she figures no matter his previous knowledge, he can put the pieces together. He did just see her walk down the hallway of the hospital dedicated to Head Trauma after all. </p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn, sensing that Molly isn’t going to respond the same way she did to his remarks at the bar and at the stadium, softens, “Hey, do you have any plans the rest of the day?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have training in an hour, but after that I was just gonna make myself some dinner and maybe sit back with a glass of wine,” Molly laughs at herself, “Typical Friday night, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“What are you planning on making?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was gonna try out a lasagna recipe from my Nana.” Something about the way she says that, maybe with a bit of love mentioning her namesake or just the pure fact that this feisty, vivacious woman is planning on spending her Friday night curled up on the couch, makes Brooklyn courageous and intrigued enough for his next remark.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, if you want some company, I’d love to try out the lasagna with you. See if Nana Weasley’s cooking skills are up on par with Grandma Fawcett’s.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly gasps, “I’m sure Grandma Fawcett is a lovely woman, but Nana Molly is the best cook I know.” She narrows her eyes playfully, “No plans on a Friday night?”</p><p> </p><p>He shrugs. She doesn’t need to know that yes actually, he was planning on going out to dinner with two coworkers, but he is more than willing to cancel those plans so he can get to know the girl in front of him, “I will if you allow me to crash your place and test that lasagna.” He tilts his head ever so slightly, “It’s okay if you don’t want me to come over. Just figure you could maybe use some company.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s so unlike Brooklyn, to offer something like that to someone who isn’t even quite a friend yet. But there’s something about Molly, whether it was the fact that she usually has a witty comment for everything or that there seems to be more to her than what the media always puts out (though he knows well enough to steer away from all the talk). The times they’ve interacted, his charm hasn’t wavered her steadfastness at all. It’s partially frustrating, that he can’t seem to crack her. But he wants to. </p><p> </p><p>Molly lets out a breath, knowing that she rarely takes to a stranger so quickly. But it’s the fact that he doesn’t push, doesn’t seem to mind that she’s in a sour mood, and genuinely seems like he wants to taste her attempt at Nana Molly’s recipe. She smiles, biting her lip, “Well, if you have nothing else to do, wanna meet at the stadium at 6? You’re gonna have to help me make the lasagna.”</p><p> </p><p>He whistles, “That’s a lot of pressure. I gotta make Nana Molly proud.”</p><p> </p><p>She rolls her eyes, “6?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be waiting.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly pretends she didn’t see his wink as she walks down the hallway and towards the lift.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit, this is going to hurt like a bitch.”</p><p> </p><p>The whole team agree with Emily’s statement, but can only let out a groan in response, as they all quickly shower and gather their things after practice. Coach had put them through their least favorite drills today, and Molly is pretty sure that she can’t feel her arms after having to swing at bludgers for what seemed like hours on end. </p><p> </p><p>“The fact that we have a 7 a.m gym session tomorrow should be illegal,” Lindsey grunts, throwing on her sweatshirt.</p><p> </p><p>Molly chuckles while listening to her teammates complain, thought she also internally groans when Lindsey mentioned the gym session tomorrow. “Thank goodness we don’t have a game next week. I don’t think I’d be able to even grip my bat judging by the fact that my arms feel like jello right now.” </p><p> </p><p>They all chat amongst themselves as they file out of the locker room and towards the place outside of the stadium where apparation is permitted, with conversations about weekend plans (“Sammy Girl, I will either be at practice with your pale ass or not moving on my couch”). Molly is behind the whole group, walking alongside Emma as she chats about her owl’s newfound favorite pastime (“He keeps dropping crumbs of his treats above my sink. Once the ants come, Sunny better watch out.”) With a wave, everyone starts popping back to their respective homes. </p><p> </p><p>Well, everyone except for Lindsey, of course, who immediately becomes suspicious as soon as she notices her friend not immediately going home herself. </p><p> </p><p>“Why haven’t you gone home yet?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly shrugs, “I’m waiting for someone.”</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey narrows her eyes, “Who?” And, almost comically, Brooklyn, looking a bit disheveled, appears out of thin air. </p><p> </p><p>He blinks quickly a couple times, coming to his senses, “Sorry I’m late. Had to close down a case and track down some people.”</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey, to her credit, doesn’t look fazed, “Well, hello Brooklyn. It’s good to see you again.” She shoots her friend a pointed look.</p><p> </p><p>Molly responds nonverbally with a warning look to Lindsey, before turning to Brooklyn with a small smile, “All good. We just got out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fun plans tonight?” Lindsey’s intrigued. Besides her family, teammates and the occasional Hogwarts friend, Molly rarely feels the need to hang out with anyone else in her free time. She’s an outgoing person, but it takes awhile for her to open up to anyone and trust them, much less have them over at her place. Lindsey’s pretty sure it took a couple months of friendship before she even set foot in Molly’s place. So what makes this guy different from the rest that after maybe 3 times of seeing each other, he suddenly has an invite?</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey isn’t mad. She’s intrigued. And maybe, in the back of her mind, she’s thinking of making some bets with her teammates, who also have their suspicions about Molly and Brooklyn.</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn grins, shoving his hands into his pockets, “Molly here promised me some lasagna.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly immediately huffs, “That is not true. If anything, you invited yourself over.” Brooklyn just rolls his eyes, as Lindsey stares at them, arms crossed, a smirk beginning to form on her lips. It makes Molly feel a bit like a teenager getting caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing, which in this case is really nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, enjoy. Not too much though,” She turns to her teammate, “Remember, Mols. 7 a.m. tomorrow.” She disappears before Molly can glare at her even more for her suggestive comment.</p><p> </p><p>She turns to Brooklyn and sticks her hand out, “Shall we?” </p><p> </p><p>“Please don’t take me to a dark alley.”</p><p> </p><p>She rolls her eyes, “I have no energy to go anywhere but to my place right now, so you’re in luck.” Within seconds, they land in Molly’s kitchen. “Make yourself at home. I’m gonna change into clean clothes real quick and dig out the recipe.” He hums as Molly goes into her bedroom, changing into an old Weasley sweater and a pair of leggings. She halts for a quick second, thinking about if she should try to look nicer, but almost as quick as the thought comes, that thought dissipates. It’s not like she’s trying to impress Brooklyn, who himself must’ve popped back to his place after work to change into a casual brown jumper and jeans. She quickly brushes her hands through her damp hair as she walks out of the room. </p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn is observing the many pictures that Molly has on the wall in the living room. She’s not a keen decorator, leaving that role to Vicki, but she always has had a love for photos, something that her and her Grandad Arthur share. She always considers herself lucky that her cousin Louis is an immaculate photographer, and often takes it upon himself to capture the moments that Molly cherishes the most. The first thing that Molly set up when she moved in, even before all the furniture, was a wall of photos. Some are moving, and others are still. The photos range from when she was a little girl to her Hogwarts days to her professional career. She keeps adding on more, and is sure that one day she’ll run out of space. Whenever Molly needs to ground herself, she looks at the photos of the people she loves and the moments she’s lived through.</p><p> </p><p>She comes up next to him and watches as his eyes scan over the photos. There’s something about this that seems so personal. Almost a bit uncomfortably so. But Brooklyn is looking with a curious look, not in a way that’s intended to pry. Photos are meant to be looked at by others after all.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re really close with your family.” A statement, not a question.</p><p> </p><p>Molly smiles; she always does when anyone mentions her family, “I am. They’re my biggest fans.” He laughs at a particular photo, and Molly knows the arrangement of photos well enough to know which photo he’s looking at. One taken during her graduation day. “James and Al. They’re still at Hogwarts. They were complaining about how hot it was and I was slapping them for being annoying.” He nods, as if he doesn’t know who some of the most famous people in the Wizarding world are.</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn doesn’t have that many preconceived notions about the infamous Weasley family. Part of it is because he was in the United States for most of his life. It wasn’t until he moved to London two years ago that he realized how different things are here. The Weasleys are always part of casual talk, whether in newspapers or just in passing, something that he didn’t experience when he was in the States. When he saw Molly at the bar that night, he had to blink a couple times to make sure his mind wasn’t playing games with him. There were always rumors that there was bad blood within the family, but with the blinding smiles and boisterous laughter displayed in these photos, he can tell that that isn’t true. And even with her sarcastic and quick, witty comments, he knows that Molly is genuine. That’s maybe the one thing he knows for sure.</p><p> </p><p>He tears his eyes away from the photographs, “So, where’s this recipe?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly’s eyes visibly light up, and Brooklyn thinks it might be one of the best things he’s ever witnessed. She holds up a recipe card, “Right here! Nana gave me a box of notecards that had handwritten family recipes on it last Christmas.” She rushes around to get the ingredients and the pots and pans, “I hope you don’t mind. I could use household spells, but Nana always taught me to make food by hand. Something about putting more love into it.”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn smiles, reading the recipe and helping get some of the things set up, “My grandma says the same thing too.”</p><p> </p><p>They start working together cohesively, like they have cooking together their whole lives. Molly momentarily looks back from the cabinet and shoots a stunning smile, “Tell me about your family.”</p><p> </p><p>And he does. He talks about his sister, two years younger than him and working at one of the biggest hospitals in the US as a Healer, just finishing Healer school about 2 months ago. She’s adopted, and he gushes on about the day he met her at the orphanage. He talks about his Mom, a Muggle journalist. He glasses over to his overall upbringing in Georgia, hoping Molly doesn’t take notice of the lack of mention of his father. If she does, she doesn’t let it show, instead chuckling and chopping some onions as he mentions stories involving the ‘southern hospitality’ mentality he was brought up with, especially with his traditional grandparents. He momentarily halts, smiling softly as Molly lays out the lasagna in a baking pan, hair falling in a way where it’s shielding most of her face from view. Her focus is on the careful placement, making sure the layers are even. </p><p> </p><p>After she’s satisfied, she looks up, “So, why law?”</p><p> </p><p>He goes back to shredding the cheese that will be sprinkled on top, taking a deep breath, “As I grew older, I came to realize that everything is very corrupted, even the things that are supposed to keep society stable and fair. I wanted to be a part of something that keeps digging and making sure we actually get to a point where everyone has the same opportunities and chances, and where the people who are actively trying to corrupt learn their lesson.” He chuckles to himself, “Sorry if that was more of a response than you were looking for.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly shakes her head, coming over with the pan so that the cheese can be sprinkled on. “No, no. I appreciate it.” She catches his eye, “I’m surrounded by surface talk all the time.” </p><p> </p><p>“Why Quidditch? Besides the fact that you love it and everything.”</p><p> </p><p>A couple beats of silence pass before she responds, the most quiet she’s been all night. “I love the feeling of accomplishment. I always have. Of winning and knowing that you got the result you’ve worked so hard for. But it’s also that you can’t half ass it to be successful in the Quidditch world. I feel like putting anything except my best everyday is a waste. There’s something satisfying about knowing that after every practice, I put in my all.” Molly shakes her head quickly, “That didn’t really answer your question.”</p><p> </p><p>It did answer his question, but he bites his tongue. For a 20 year old (though he is only 3 years older), Molly is quite wise. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s the oldest of her generation in her family. Maybe it’s the fact that the Quidditch world has a way of forcing people to grow up a bit faster than others. Whatever it is, Brooklyn is hooked.</p><p> </p><p>He watches Molly finish up with the shredded cheese before he puts the lasagna in the oven, careful not to swish any of the pan’s contents out of place. Once the oven is closed and a timer is set, Molly shoos Brooklyn to the couch, “You want anything to drink? I have beer, pumpkin juice, every sort of tea you could imagine, wine, water.”</p><p> </p><p>“Pumpkin juice would be great, thank you,” She grabs a cold bottle of pumpkin juice out of the fridge, as well as pouring out a glass of water for herself. On any other night, she would’ve cracked open a beer or poured herself a glass of wine, but Lindsey’s reminder of the 7 a.m. session she has tomorrow stops her from doing so.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it really that bad?” He asks, as she hands him his drink before collapsing on the couch.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm?”</p><p> </p><p>“The surface talk. You said you’re always surrounded by it.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly blinks, taking a big gulp of water. “I love my family and I love my teammates. I keep in contact with some friends from Hogwarts, but as I came into the pro league, I realized that it’s harder and harder to pick out the people who actually want to get to know you. Most people just want something. Or just see me as an athlete, which is fine, I guess.” She smirks, poking his arm, “You should consider yourself lucky. I don’t let just anyone help me out with Nana Molly’s recipes.”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn grins, “I am very lucky.” </p><p> </p><p>The smile that Molly gives him over her glass of water almost, just almost, makes his breath hitch. He’s not blind; he knew she was pretty before he even met her, but he wasn’t prepared for just how pretty Molly actually was. When he came up to her at the bar that night, he immediately noticed how her smirk was deadly, especially paired with the way the lanterns were reflecting off her hazel eyes. When he saw her at the stadium that day, the only place where she was truly in her element, there was an ease to her smile and the way she interacted with her teammates and even the media. </p><p> </p><p>Even her game is gorgeous in a way, coming from a simple casual spectator like Brooklyn. After seeing a match in person and occasionally catching a match on his Wiz-TV, he can see why everyone talks about her, and maybe for the first time, they are hyping up a young star who is actually deserving of it. The way she plays is so different than anything the game has seen. There’s a nuance to how she flies, how she approaches her role as a Beater that in itself, is beautiful. </p><p> </p><p>But nothing beats the sight in front of him right now. Molly Weasley, with damp hair, right leg tucked underneath herself as she’s quietly revealing some of her biggest insecurities, but still weary enough that she doesn’t give so much of a deeper explanation. Molly Weasley, with her namesake’s signature lasagna in the oven, drinking water instead of beer even though she’s never had a hangover in her life.</p><p> </p><p>This is the most beautiful Molly Weasley he’s seen to date.</p><p> </p><p>The lasagne turns out surprisingly well, though perhaps a little underseasoned, but nothing a pinch of salt and pepper can’t fix. Molly feels proud, glad she put the thoughtful gift from her Nana to use. She also feels content, because this might be the best Friday night she’s had in awhile. She hasn’t laughed this much since the summer, the last time her relatives were all together. </p><p> </p><p>Because the thing is, Brooklyn is funny. Like, really funny. He retells childhood stories with a hint of exaggeration and hand motions that makes Molly have to put her water down so she doesn’t spill it from the shaking of her laughter. He leans back and smirks after a story about a case he had last year that sends Molly into a wild coughing fit. And as they sit on opposite sides of the rectangular island that’s in her kitchen, she can’t help but think that this feels like a date, even though neither of them has said so. </p><p> </p><p>And, if it were up to Molly, she would call it unfair that Brooklyn is so unbelievably attractive. Being in the same room as him is almost suffocating. His charm expands beyond this apartment, and Molly feels like she’s drowning in it. He won’t take his eyes off of her, which in a sense, is just a polite thing to do when talking to someone. But the way he looks at her, well, she’s never felt more seen and important and heard, which is just so stupid. She doesn’t understand how anyone who’s going against him in court can stand their ground with a stare like his. It’s taking her a lot to not just crumble right now.</p><p> </p><p>It’s only when the clock hits 11 that Molly grimaces, and Brooklyn knows that it’s time for the night to end. Brooklyn gives Molly a look, and she knows that whatever happens with them next is up to her. </p><p> </p><p>She’s not sure why she’s delegated with that responsibility, but she’s thankful for it. It’s almost like he knows that she doesn’t do this. She doesn’t invite anyone over when she barely knows them. And he’s respectful enough to leave the ball in her court.</p><p> </p><p>She hands him her phone, “I know apparating is a thing and everything, but I’m not the biggest fan of people popping by unannounced.” </p><p> </p><p>“What is it gonna be next time?” Brooklyn teases, handing the phone back after he put the number in and texts himself so he can save hers. “Pie? Fish and Chips?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly rolls her eyes, “Next time, you’re making me something. You’re lucky I even had energy today to follow a detailed recipe.”</p><p> </p><p>He smirks, standing up, “So there is gonna be a next time.”</p><p> </p><p>She stands up and gives him a hug, hoping that he couldn’t see her cheeks flush, “Don’t get too ahead of yourself.” </p><p> </p><p>With one last quiet thank you and a quick kiss on the cheek, he leaves. And Molly gulps down another large glass of water before getting ready for bed, as if anything can clear her head and get rid of the lingering sensation on her skin. </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously Weasley,” Kelley turns to her teammate the next morning. “What is going on with you? You’ve almost dropped the weight on your own foot three times in the last 15 minutes.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly pulls out her headphones, though it’s not like she’s really paying attention to what she’s listening to. She’s been distracted all morning, and it took about 45 minutes into their morning gym session before someone had finally said something about it. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, sorry.” She shakes her head, as if that will fix anything.</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey, who overhears their conversation, has a hint of a smirk on her lips, “Nothing, huh? Late night?”</p><p> </p><p>Kelley gasps, “Molly! You fucked someone? I’m so happy for you! It’s been like, ages-”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t fuck anyone, Kel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ooo, who didn’t Molly fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly rolls her eyes at Emily, because of course Emily would want to know. “No one. Kelley is just spewing out lies again.” </p><p> </p><p>Kelley ignores her, “Remember Brooklyn? The guy from Star?”</p><p> </p><p>Heather cackles as Emma gasps, “Molly! He’s hot. I’m proud of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Emily nods vigorously, finishing her cup of water. “He is very attractive. And I like girls.”</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey, who has been laughing in the background this whole time, adds, “He’s maybe even more attractive than your cousin, Mols.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly shoves Lindsey, effectively making her lose her balance for a second, “That’s disgusting.”</p><p> </p><p>She wiggles her eyebrows, “I mean, he’s too young for me. But you know-”</p><p> </p><p>“Enough,” Molly mimics a gag. “Please. He’s still a baby.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s 17, Mol. Not really a baby anymore.” Molly waves Kelley off, because to her, James Potter will always be a baby. The fact that all of her teammates always point out that they think her cousin is attractive is one of many running gags in their friendships (then someone, usually Emily, brings Louis up and then Molly immediately shuts that down. At least James is of age). </p><p> </p><p>“Anyways, I didn’t sleep with anyone, thank you very much.” Molly huffs.</p><p> </p><p>Lindsey raises an eyebrow as the whole team wraps up their morning fitness session, “You’re telling me that you and Brooklyn just went back to your place to cook and hang out?” Molly hums, but doesn’t shift, signalling to her teammates that she’s telling the truth.</p><p> </p><p>Kelley whistles, “Damn, Mol. Really? With a face like that?”</p><p> </p><p>Molly snorts, “You guys are ridiculous. He’s not an animal.”</p><p> </p><p>Sammy, ever the dramatic one, gasps, “Molly is defending a pretty boy! That means one thing and one thing only. He’s actually a decent person. ”</p><p> </p><p>Molly chuckles as they all head towards the pitch without a proper response. Though she doesn’t even need to give one, because all the girls start chattering about it anyways. They may be a team that’s all business when it comes to their careers, but they thrive off of the lives of the ones they surround themselves with (when Sammy got engaged last year, Molly doesn’t think she’s ever heard as many girls squeal at the same time. She’s pretty sure her ears were ringing for four days straight after).</p><p> </p><p>They’re annoying. But they’re her best friends. They’re family. </p><p> </p><p>And family annoy each other over everything.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Brooklyn is in Wales, relocating to the office there for two weeks. He’s at a makeshift desk in one of the conference rooms, trying to look over the summary documents before a meeting about a case that he has been brought in to work on. His phone buzzes, and he sees a text from his sister.</p><p> </p><p>Christy: What do you mean you had dinner with Molly Weasley? Are you fucking with me right now?</p><p> </p><p>Brooks: I said what I said. </p><p> </p><p>Christy: Damn, bro. So it was a date?</p><p> </p><p>Brooks: Wouldn’t go that far.</p><p> </p><p>Christy: Of course. You would offer to help her make a family recipe and not call it a date. Only you.</p><p> </p><p>Brooks: I’m serious! I don’t know what it was.</p><p> </p><p>For once, Brooklyn isn’t lying to his sister. Everything that happened last night pointed to a date, but neither of them bothered to define it. Because it really doesn’t need to be defined. He doesn’t think so, at least.</p><p> </p><p>But he can’t stop thinking about her. He’s supposed to be preparing for a meeting, fucking hell, not thinking about Molly Weasley and her stupid smile and how she has the effortless ability to reveal without actually revealing anything. It’s almost infuriating, the way she can just insert herself in someone’s mind without knowing it.</p><p> </p><p>His partner, Taylor, comes in, her hair the slightest bit disheveled from running around all morning. She sits down with a huff and pushes a cup of coffee towards him. Before a meeting, she always gets a cup of coffee for her partner, and after every case they close together, he brings in half a dozen chocolate chip muffins from her favorite cafe.</p><p> </p><p>He raises an eyebrow, “You okay, Tay?”</p><p> </p><p>“The usual,” She looks at Brooklyn and immediately softens, “What’s up with you? You seem out of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“What gave that away?”</p><p> </p><p>She rolls her eyes as if she hasn’t been working alongside him since she graduated from Hogwarts 5 months ago, “We have a meeting in 15 minutes, and you don’t have any notes written down.”</p><p> </p><p>Will, their supervisor comes into the room and chuckles, looking at the lack of notes from Brooklyn. “You’re lucky Tay actually took notes this time.” Brooklyn simply rolls his eyes, taking a giant sip of coffee so he doesn’t have to respond. </p><p> </p><p>The trio of Brooklyn, Taylor and Will is a strange one, because they work so well together, yet are so different in personality and different in the way they approach their work. Brooklyn is very meticulous and always needs to read over a report numerous times before methodically outlining their action plan. Taylor, while just as hardworking, often is more lax with her methods, preferring to let someone else do the preparing, as she works in an unconventional manner. She has the incredible ability to be able to think of intricate solutions seemingly out of nowhere that somehow always seem to be the right answer. Will, almost a decade older than both of them, is a renowned lawyer in the firm and was the one who ran Brooklyn’s internship and is currently running Taylor’s. Many are intimidated by him purely because of his resume, and he doesn’t trust many people, but Brooklyn and Taylor have seemed to crack him, and they have become an unstoppable trio. This trio is a part of about a team of a dozen that work in the same office in London generally, except for this past week, but the reason this trio has been extremely successful is because of their working and personal relationship and their trust of one another. </p><p> </p><p>Because of that trust, Will automatically knows that something is off, even though he just walked into the room. He narrows his eyes, “Brooks, do I have to pull you off this case?”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn shakes his head quickly, “No, no. I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Taylor smirks, “Is this because of a girl?” She initially only says that because she’s teasing, but the second Brooklyn’s eye contact drops, she knows she’s got it. “No way. Seriously?”</p><p> </p><p>Will raises an eyebrow, leaning against the table and crossing his arms, “Huh.”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn rolls his eyes, “It’s nothing.” And because life is just funny sometimes, his phone, that’s on the table face up, chooses to buzz at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Molly Weasley?” Taylor exclaims and her jaw drops. “You’re hung up over Molly Weasley?”</p><p> </p><p>Will blinks, unfazed, “Is that the Quidditch player?”</p><p> </p><p>Taylor gives him an incredulous look, “She’s probably one of, if not the, best player out there right now.” She turns back to Brooklyn, “Hang on, is this why you couldn’t get dinner with us yesterday?”</p><p> </p><p>Will, suddenly seeming more interested, leans forward, “You went on a date and you didn’t tell us.”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn looks between them, Will with a deadpan look on his face and Taylor smirking, “No. Well, yes. I couldn’t get dinner because I was seeing her, but it wasn’t a date.”</p><p> </p><p>Taylor laughs and laughs, until she sees his face, and then it stops, “Wait, you’re serious?”</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn puts his hand up, “This conversation is done.”</p><p> </p><p>Taylor, knowing her partner won’t budge anymore at the moment, just huffs, “For now.” Before anyone could respond, a bunch of the Wales team walks into the room and it’s officially work mode. At the Harpies Stadium, as soon as the team mount their brooms, it’s officially work mode. </p><p> </p><p>But both Brooklyn and Molly’s heads are in different places. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi there! i hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as i loved writing it. it was a therapeutic and healthy way for me to destress, considering all that's going on in the world today. </p><p> </p><p>if you don't mind, i'm going to get personal and straightforward for a second. as an asian american, the conversation may be slightly different, but it's all leading to the same. black lives matter. we, as a nation and a citizen to this globe, must be better and fight for better. i've been tirelessly educating myself and having difficult conversations with those around me. i've been trying to find ways i can help locally. i strongly urge you to do as much as you can. it's our duty to this world, our generation, and the generations after us to ensure a more generous, fair and loving place for them to live in. do what YOU can do. every path is different, but every path is essential. </p><p> </p><p>alright, that's all i got for now. if you want to chat about this chapter OR just life in general, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or come find me at dancekatrina13.tumblr.com. thank you as always for reading!</p><p> </p><p>much love,</p><p>katrina xx</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Suddenly, Brooklyn’s kitchen is filled with music he doesn’t necessarily know, but as he listens to Molly’s soft humming as she rummages around his kitchen like it’s her second home, he realizes that she could be humming along to anything and it would still sound beautiful.</p>
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    <p>December 11, 2023</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you heels before, Kel.”</p><p>Kelley snorts, looking down at her black wedges, “It’s not like I can wear wedges to practice, Sammy Girl.” She looks around, “Seriously though. This place is fancy.”</p><p>The Holyhead Harpies are in the lobby of the main London office of Crestfall and Williams, waiting to have their first official meeting with their legal team. It’s snowing like crazy outside. Molly herself has a chestnut peacoat on over a white button up shirt. She went for a more comfortable look, deciding to wear boots, a scarf and a fuzzy hat, though the latter is currently shoved in her purse. The other girls point out that it’s probably because Molly’s more used to being in fancier places that a law office isn’t even in the top 10 list.</p><p>“Have you talked to your lawyer friend lately?” Lindsey asks, rubbing her hands together to warm them. </p><p>“Yeah, we’ve texted a bit.”</p><p>“He’s not working on the case, is he?”</p><p>Molly shakes her head at Heather, “No, unless things have changed since he came to the stadium.”</p><p>“That’s good then,” Lindsey says with a hum.</p><p>Molly turns toward her, an eyebrow raised, “And why is that?”</p><p>Emily cackled, “Because if he worked on the case, he would have to be removed at some point due to conflict of interest!”</p><p>Kelley chimes in, “Did you mention you were gonna be here today?”</p><p>Molly shrugs, “I did a couple days ago, but who knows if he’s even working today.” She shoves Kelley, “Enough about my life. We’re here for an actual reason.”</p><p>Heather nods, “Molly’s right. We gotta focus. If we don’t officially get these lawyers, we’re gonna have to start the search all over again.” Heather’s partially right; technically, the team is here today to solidify the fact that they’re officially filing a lawsuit. Who knows? The team of lawyers may not sit well with one aspect of what they’re asking for and call it quits, despite the fact that the team’s been in contact with them since the summer. </p><p>But they’re all hoping that this works out. With the best firm on this side of the pond, maybe they’ll actually be able to see this through.</p><p>Not long after, the girls are led by a receptionist to a big conference room, where they are met with a team of 6 lawyers who would be focused on this case. Molly has to take a second to recollect herself and remind herself that this is the real deal. Those numbers are real. The women on her team (and possibly women on other teams) are getting paid significantly less than males in their sport. And they’re trying to fight it. It’ll eventually get out to the media and become this whole frenzy, and they’ll have to be ready for that, which means they all have to know exactly what’s going on. </p><p>While Molly is not well versed in law, she is focused as the lawyers start talking about logistics. The details of the whole process are a bit lost on Molly, but considering how intelligent she naturally is, she understands enough, unlike some of her teammates who are getting a bit overwhelmed by the technical terms. She nods to Emily, motioning that she’ll explain more once the meeting is over. </p><p>They leave the meeting with handshakes all around, officially starting their working relationship, and thank goodness, because they were all slightly afraid of the possibility of the lawyers backing off. But the legal team seems very invested in it and assures the players that they will do all they can. There’s a bit of a pep in everyone’s step as they walk back towards the lobby where they will grab lunch somewhere nearby before flooing to the stadium for a team meeting (no practice today, thank goodness, just watching some film. The snow would’ve been a pain in the ass to fly in). Everyone stops to bundle up before going outside, pulling out gloves and rewrapping scarves around their necks. Molly digs out her white hat (that has an obnoxiously large gray pom pom on top) and tucks it over her ears, before buttoning her coat. The team walks outside, ready to brave the cold for their short walk to a local restaurant, before Molly hears someone calling her name.</p><p>“Molly! Hey, hold on for a second.”</p><p>She whips around and sees Brooklyn, dressed in a navy blue suit as the door behind him is swinging shut. Snow is falling rapidly, quickly coating his hair. Molly can see flakes caught on her eyelashes. He’s squinting slightly as he walks toward her with his hands in the pockets of his slacks.</p><p>Molly raises an eyebrow, “Hi there.”</p><p>Brooklyn lets out a chuckle and nods, “Hi. How’d your meeting go?”</p><p>Molly cocks her head to the side, “Can’t you just ask one of your coworkers?”</p><p>“I could. But I wanted to ask you.”</p><p>She tries not to smile, “It went well. You’ll be seeing me here a lot more in the next couple of months.</p><p>“Oh?” He steps closer to her. “Only here?”</p><p>She narrows her eyes, “What do you want?”</p><p>He puts his hands up in defense, “Nothing.” He blinks, taking in the view. “It’s good to see you again.” She tilts her chin up slightly, and Brooklyn’s breath catches in his throat. The ends of her hair are starting to become damp and curl up. With the world covered in white, her eyes have never looked greener. He’s baffled at how someone can become more gorgeous every time he sees her. He’s going to have to start a mental collection of all these moments, and he’s going to have to get a grip very soon so he doesn’t do something stupid. </p><p>She scans his outfit, “Fancy.”</p><p>He shrugs, “Everyday attire for me. You look cozy.”</p><p>Molly burrows herself deeper into her scarf, “It’s fucking freezing out. I don’t know how you’re not shivering.” She’s not complimenting him on purpose, because judging from the look on his face, it doesn’t matter. She’s clearly not doing as a job at being subtle as she thinks she is.</p><p>She’s been to a lot of fancy events and seen guys in suits many times, that it doesn’t even faze her anymore. It shouldn’t faze her anymore. So she’s going to blame the fast beating of her heart today on the cold. Not on the fact that this suit fits on Brooklyn so perfectly and that the grey shirt underneath seems to somehow simultaneously stand out and blend in compared to the blanket of snow rapidly falling in London today. Not on the fact that he’s looking at her in the intense way he does (honestly, does he do this to everyone?).</p><p>He shoves his hands into his pockets, “You have practice later?”</p><p>“No,” She shakes her head, “Well, we’re gonna be watching some film in preparation for our game in three days, but no flying today.”</p><p>“Ah, right. Tornados, yeah?”</p><p>“How do you know?”</p><p>He chuckles, “You act like you’re not on the team that’s in the lead standings at the moment.” She raises an eyebrow, knowing there’s more. “One of my coworkers got tickets, so my partners and I are going.”</p><p>Molly’s lip curls up in amusement, “Oh?”</p><p>He bites his lip, “Yeah. It was either the Harpies game or the Magpies game versus the Bats.”</p><p>“Why not choose the Bats?” </p><p>He smirks, “Told them the Harpies might be more worth their while.” He backs away, but not before throwing a wink, “And, perhaps I’m a little biased to a pretty Beater who seems to have a reputation for being ruthless. ” Before she can say anything, he turns his back to her, walking into the office. She stares for a couple of seconds, watching as he nods to one of his coworkers with a smile before he’s out of sight.</p><p>After a deep breath, she turns around to see her teammates staring straight at her. All 6 of them, not caring about the snow blowing in their faces. All 6 of them with equally large grins on their faces.</p><p>Molly puts her hand up, “Don’t. I’m starving.”</p><p>They all nod and start walking, except Kelley, who narrows her eyes, “And you’re sure there’s nothing going on between you two?” </p><p>“Completely.”</p><p>As the girls are walking towards the town, Brooklyn sits down at his desk in the office he shares with Will and Taylor. He buries his head in his hands, and doesn’t even look up when the door slams.</p><p>“What’s up with you?”</p><p>He groans, “How’d your meeting with Mr. Maddock go?”</p><p>Taylor slams some folders on her desk, “Good. Just going over the final details before his testimony tomorrow.” A couple beats of silence pass. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on or am I just gonna have to force it out of you?”</p><p>He lifts his head up to see Taylor leaning her back against her desk, arms crossed, eyes observant. “Nothing’s going on.”</p><p>She nods with a small smirk, “Right. Where’s Will?”</p><p>Brooklyn flips through some documents, not actually looking at anything. “Not sure. Harpies meeting already let out, so he should be around.”</p><p>“Ah ha!” He lifts up his head to see Taylor grinning in glee. “You talked to Molly.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I know you were meeting with Ms. Alanca at the same time,” She drums her fingers against the desk. “And no one was sure how long the Harpies meeting was going to take. So you must’ve seen her if you knew when the meeting ended.”</p><p>“Or maybe I just saw her teammates from a distance. Or saw our colleagues walking out of the room.”</p><p>Taylor scoffs. The amount of times she wants to slap this man in a day is astronomically high. “I saw you two through the window. You have the heart eyes, Brooks.”</p><p>Brooklyn leans back in his chair with a look, “Get a grip, Taylor.”</p><p>She narrows her eyes, “I’m serious. Do you have feelings for her?”</p><p>“I’ve only known her for like a month.”</p><p>“That’s not what I asked.” He sighs while Taylor stares at him. He doesn’t need to answer. He knows it. She knows it.</p><p>He’s fucked.</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>It’s been a couple weeks since Molly’s seen her parents, she reflects as she steps out of the fireplace of the Burrow–a place that holds a special place in her heart. It’s Audrey’s birthday, and since the Weasley family is a somewhat traditional one, everyone who is not at Hogwarts is expected to free up the night for dinner. Usually, the kids still at school will spend a night together. Birthdays aren’t a huge ordeal, considering how many people are in the family, but at the very least, a dinner celebration is welcomed. </p><p>As she steps out of the fireplace, she already knows she’s one of the last ones there. There’s chatter around the house and the smell of Nana Molly’s delicious homemade cooking, a scent that makes her smile as she hangs up her coat and scarf in a nearby closet.</p><p>“Look who’s here. Last. Again.”</p><p>She rolls her eyes at the sound of her soon-to-be cousin in law. “Thought you were going to be at Hogwarts, Ted.”</p><p>Ted chuckles as he walks over to Molly. “It’s a Friday. Hogwarts doesn’t need me for the weekend.” He pulls Molly into a brief, tight hug. “Good to see you.”</p><p>“Congratulations on the engagement!” Molly pulls away and shoots a stunning smile. “Can’t say I was surprised, but I’m happy for you both.”</p><p>Ted and Molly start walking towards the kitchen together, the former shoving his hands in his jean pockets. “Thanks, Mol. So, how’s training been? Harpies have been looking fantastic.”</p><p>“Fantastic enough to throw away your Tornadoes jersey?”</p><p>Ted rolls his eyes, “Family over team loyalty, perhaps.”</p><p>Molly winks, “Exactly, especially since you’ll be officially family soon.” They walk into the kitchen to see Nana Molly and Ginny. “Hi there. I’m so sorry I’m late.”</p><p>She envelops her grandmother in a tight hug as Ginny snorts, “You’re always late.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t listen to Ginny.” Nana Molly steps back with a wide grin. “We’re always happy to see you.”</p><p>Molly kisses her Nana on the cheek, “It’s great to have one of your meals again, Nana. Do you have any idea where my mum is? Probably should wish her a happy birthday and grovel a bit so she isn’t as mad at me for not seeing her recently.”</p><p>Nana Molly pats her shoulder, “She should be out in the backyard, dear. Do tell them all to come inside soon; dinner’s almost ready.” Molly slips out of the kitchen with a smile towards her Aunt Ginny as she pulls open the sliding door to step outside, Ted right behind her.</p><p>There’s chairs around a circular fire pit, an area that everyone crowds around at all times during the year. The warming charm around the area provides a feeling of summer in the dead of winter. Molly’s favorite is when there are snow flurries raining down as the large fire crackles, like right now. </p><p>“Ah, there she is!” Percy exclaims, turning all eyes towards them.</p><p>She looks towards Audrey, “Happy Birthday, Mum.” She lifts up a small bag. “Got you a little something.”</p><p>Audrey stands up and gives her daughter a hug, taking the bag. “Thank you. You didn’t have to get me anything though.”</p><p>Molly smiles, knowing that her mother will be elated when she sees the customized cooking utensils. “I have the money, Mum. Let me use it.”</p><p>“She’s got that right, Aud!” George pipes up, offering a wide smile. “Little Molly here doesn’t have time for us anymore now that she’s the big Quidditch name of the year!”</p><p>“Please don’t,” Molly shakes her head, and everyone takes the hint. When she’s with her family, she likes to keep the Quidditch talk to a minimum, unless there’s an important match coming up or on the rare occasion that she wants to gossip with her relatives. Her family respects that; they, of all people, understand how home is a place away from it all. Away from the pressure and expectations of the outside world. With some hugs and warm greetings, the adults keep chattering on, as the next generation (which is only Ted, Vicki and Molly) flocks to the patio that’s decorated with string lights and candles.</p><p>Vicki, who places her feets on top of Ted’s legs, nods. “So, how’s Brooklyn?”</p><p>Molly shoots her a look, to which Vicki’s smirk just grows in response. “He’s fine.”</p><p>“That’s all you’re going to give me?” </p><p>Molly blinks as Ted chuckles at his fiance’s persistence, “Got no clue what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“You remember Taylor Davan?” Vicki presses. “Gryffindor? Year younger than us? She was in a couple of my NEWT classes.” </p><p>“Vaguely.”</p><p>“I ran into her the other day while I was grabbing a coffee at Petals. Turns out she works at Crestfall.”</p><p>Molly fiddles with her rings, “And what? You bombarded her about Brooklyn?”</p><p>“Well, no. We were just talking about work. Catching up. She was ordering two coffees, and I asked who it was for.” Molly gestures for her to keep going. “They’re partners. Apparently they work on a lot of cases together.”</p><p>Ted cackles, “What a small world!”</p><p>“Wait, there’s more.” Vicki smirks. “Taylor has always been very prideful, as many Gryffindors are.” Molly can’t help but snort, just thinking of her relatives who are in that house. “But she wasn’t hesitant in showering Brooklyn with compliments.”</p><p>“Listen, Vicki. I know what you’re-”</p><p>Vicki huffs. “For once, Mol, shut up for a second.” And she does, because Victorie Weasley, the quintessential Hufflepuff, rarely tells someone to be quiet just so she can say something. “Taylor doesn’t blow smoke up people’s asses, so I know what she said is true. He’s good at what he does. Like super good. Mol, he’s only 23, and he’s one of the most sought out lawyers in London right now. She said that he’s known for genuinely connecting with his clients, not just representing them. He’s good with people.”</p><p>“None of this is new news to me, Vic.” Molly’s trying to keep her blase attitude, but if Taylor’s words are true, she’s a bit shocked. Of course, she knows he’s intelligent, but one of the best lawyers in London? And go figure; of course his suffocating charm would be present anywhere he goes.</p><p>Vicki shrugs as Ted watches on in unusual interest. “I’m sure it isn’t, but I don’t know. Reminds me of someone I know.”</p><p>At Molly’s confusion, Ted jumps in. “A trailblazer, perhaps? A bit like you?” Of course. Vicki has always had a keen for the idea of fate, something that Molly sees as absolute rubbish. </p><p>“Vicki, you know I don’t believe in any of that.”</p><p>Vicki sighs, “I know you, Molly. You don’t give your time of day to any guy unless it’s worth it. Even a guy who has an impressive CV like him. So, what is it then?”</p><p>Molly takes a deep breath, and makes brief eye contact with Ted, who is also curious. She stops and really thinks about her cousin’s question, because for once, she doesn’t have to give a bullshit answer. This is her family. She doesn’t have to hide with them.</p><p>“He’s very kind.” Molly nods to herself before continuing. “He doesn’t outwardly show it, but when he looks at you, you can tell how much he cares. I’ve never met anyone who can show that much kindness without saying anything.”</p><p>Vicki stares at Molly, who is staring elsewhere, mind at a race. Part of being the oldest of this generation of her ginormous family is an added sense of responsibility and pressure. It doesn’t come from anyone in her family, because they’ll always love and support Molly no matter what. It comes from herself. The trio of Molly, Vicki, and Ted all share this feeling somewhat, but the added attention of becoming a professional athlete is something that weighs heavily on Molly’s shoulders. She feels responsible and protective of her younger cousins, not that they can’t make their own choices and mistakes, but she doesn’t want them to don’t crumble from expectations, especially the ones they set for themselves. Molly’s always had a harsh view on the world and the people she initially meets, not knowing what people’s intentions are. It took her a good amount of time for her to be comfortable with even her teammates. So Vicki and Ted know that Brooklyn is someone special. Maybe not romantically, it’s too soon to tell, but someone who makes Molly as defensive yet thoughtful as this is someone worth knowing about, even if Molly herself brushes it off.</p><p>“It makes sense, though.” Vicki raises an eyebrow in question. “The things Taylor said.” Molly clarifies. “Especially about being good with people. His charm literally envelops the room. I can’t really describe it.” Molly involuntarily smiles as she thinks about the man who makes her apprehensive yet warm when he looks at her. “I saw him today at the office when the team went in. He said he’s coming to the Harpies game on Monday.”</p><p>Ted smirks, “You might see him as just a friend, but-”</p><p>“No buts, Lupin,” Molly’s eyes harden. “He may be kind and really, really nice to look at, but I don’t have time for this. Now that the lawsuit is going and being in the midst of the season, I really can’t afford any distractions right now.”</p><p>Vicki offers a small smile. “Trust me, Mol. We know. And we respect it. This is why you’re such a good Quidditch player. I’ll leave it alone. For now.” Molly let out a sigh of relief, just as her Nana beckons everyone in for dinner. “But Molly, letting someone in might be good for you.” And all Molly can do is stare at Vicki’s back as she walks back inside.</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>Molly carefully puts on her gloves, pregame playlist blasting in her ears as her robes are swishing about. It’s bitterly cold outside today, something the team discovered when they went outside for warmup about 45 minutes prior, and something that the whole team is preparing for in their own ways. For Molly, it’s an extra pair of wool gloves underneath her Beater ones, as well as a warm undershirt under her robes. </p><p>She sits down on the bench and closes her eyes, steadying her breaths. She checks her senses, smelling Heather’s broom polish and a whiff of Lindsey’s honey shampoo. She wiggles her fingers until she’s content that she can feel each and every one. She grips her bat as her hands become familiar with the feeling within seconds. She takes notice of the mintiness of her breath, thanks to the gum that she chews before every game. </p><p>Finally, she looks around at her teammates as they mill about their own pregame routines. Everyone has music playing in their ears, except Emma and Kelley, who prefer to listen to the noise of the room rather than melodious tunes. Molly adjusts her headband as she observes Emily’s finger numbly twisting her own blonde hair into a french plait. </p><p>It’s game day. And Molly revels in the feeling in her stomach. </p><p>“Anyone have any family in?” Heather pipes up. It’s not uncommon for family to come to games, especially an evening game like today’s. And it’s against a team that is very well respected, so it’s bound to be a spectacle.</p><p>Kelley looks up, “My mum’s in, though she’s probably complaining about the cold air right now.”</p><p>“Cousins are visiting from Wales!” Sammy adds, adjusting her own gloves. “Speaking of cousins, I haven’t seen yours in awhile, Molly.”</p><p>Molly chuckles, “I figure most of them are pretty busy at school, Besides, it’s not like they can just leave Hogwarts. Though Vicki came to the Cannons game a couple weeks ago.” She trails off, staring at her hands. “He isn’t family, but Brooklyn is here.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>She rolls her eyes at Lindsey, who’s full on smirking. “He and a couple of his friends from the office, I guess. Told me the other day after the meeting.”</p><p>Before anyone can make any further comments, Coach Selwyn walks in, signalling that it’s time to get in the zone. The girls finish up their routines, take out their earbuds, and sit on the bench, with Coach in the front of the room.</p><p>“Right, well. It’s really freaking cold out there. Windy as well, so be sure to pay attention to how you steer your brooms today. The Tornadoes are good, but we’re better. Just focus on what we’ve been working on, especially with attention to how you two hit the bludgers.” Coach Selwyn looks towards Molly and Heather, who nod vigorously. “We’re going to win this. Let’s go.” And with that, everyone gets up, starts giving hugs and getting ready to go out, the roaring of the crowd growing louder. Molly closes her eyes, smiling. There’s nothing like a home game. </p><p>As she stands to line up behind Heather and in front of Lindsey, she takes three deep breaths. Four counts in, four counts held, four counts out. Just as Emma gets announced, she feels Lindsey stepping closer to her. </p><p>“Let’s give your friend a show, shall we?” </p><p>Without turning around, Molly grins. “We always give a show.” And with that, they fly off.</p><p>As Molly is announced, Brooklyn and his friends are in the stands, his hands rubbing themselves together to generate some warmth within them. Will has gone to a booth to get some much needed Butterbeer, leaving Taylor cuddling up to his side, trying to get warm. </p><p>She beams as everyone watches and cheers as Molly flies to her starting position, “There’s your girl.”</p><p>Brooklyn automatically responds, “Not my girl.” </p><p>Taylor pays no mind to his defensive remark, “I’ve never actually seen a Harpies game in person. She has a spectacular game face. I wouldn’t wanna be going against her.” Brooklyn hums in agreement as he focuses on Molly, hands on her broom like it’s second nature and ponytail high up and out of her face, a black headband holding her strays away from her eyes. Her lips are set in a straight line, and even from here, he can see her hazel eyes filled with determination. </p><p>The look on her face is another image that he locks away in his mind. This is a different kind of beauty that Molly Weasley contains, and one that Brooklyn knows the world has seen. It’s interesting that he saw the beauty of a damp haired Molly Weasley smiling behind a glass of water before the beauty she is well known for. Her determination to win is something untouchable. He knows that, especially as he watches her fly off when the whistle is blown. </p><p>No force could even begin to reckon with her. </p><p>~*~*</p><p>“Good game, Weasley,” Molly turns around from her locker to see Emily’s infectious smile. “You had some awesome hits out there.”</p><p>She shrugs and nudges Emily’s side, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t elicit those cheers after that goal, Em.” Emily rolls her eyes fondly, pulling on her coat. The game had ended in a Harpies win, with a score of 180-150, and a content team and Coach, who had offered words of praise during their post-game debrief, as well as a day off of practice tomorrow. The team didn’t even try to protest, because the physical and mental buildup to this game had been brutal, and everyone was more than thankful for a day off.</p><p>The team starts filing back into the stadium, where some fans are waiting to meet their inspirations. Molly cherishes the quiet stadium as well as the loud one. The sky is pitch black, and the lights of the pitch are still as bright as they were when she was flying around, but now, they somehow soften the night and bring her back to the earth again. That’s one danger of being a professional player; flying too high and never coming back down.</p><p>Despite the steadfast reputation Molly has built, she melts when she’s around the Harpies supporters, especially the younger ones. The team would be nowhere without their belief in them. She would be nowhere without their belief in her. She knows how important it is to talk to them as much as possible, because while she may be paid for this work, it’s an escape for others. It brings entertainment. It brings joy. </p><p>And one of those little girls asking for a hug or an autograph could very well be flying around this pitch in years to come. </p><p>As she’s finishing hugging a little girl and shaking hands with her father, she looks over the man’s shoulder to see Brooklyn a couple of yards away. She tries not to show her surprise, but she knows she’s failed when Brooklyn catches her eye and waves his fingers. She holds up a finger to gesture that she’ll be there in a second, and he nods, turning back to talk to… Lindsey? That’s interesting. </p><p>It’s a couple more minutes before Molly finds herself walking towards Brooklyn, who is in deep conversation with Heather and presumably his two coworkers. She wraps her scarf tighter around her neck, trying to shield the cruel wind of Holyhead. As she comes, the three take notice of her and Heather swings an arm around her to pull her into a side hug. </p><p>“Hey there, superstar!”</p><p>Molly rolls her eyes fondly, briefly leaning into Heather’s side, directing her next words to the other three. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize you guys were waiting, or else I would’ve come by sooner.”</p><p>Brooklyn shakes his head, “No need to be sorry. I can’t blame all those little girls wanting a hug.” He gestures to his friends, one of which Molly realizes she knows, upon closer inspection, as one of the lawyers working on the case. “This is Taylor. She’s my partner in crime.” Ah, the Taylor that Vicki had mentioned the other day. “And you know Will.”</p><p>Molly shakes Taylor’s hand and smiles as Will steps forward and places a kiss on her cheek. Are all lawyers this polite? “Did you guys enjoy the game? Despite the disgusting weather?” And right on cue, a fierce blow of cold air causes everyone to shiver. </p><p>Taylor beams as her hair blows, “It was fantastic! You guys are super good. You have eyes on the League title this year?”</p><p>Heather shrugs, “Fingers crossed.” She checks the time on her phone. “Oh my. I gotta get back. My husband always cooks dinner after game nights and I’ve been out for awhile.” She bids farewell to the guests and a wink to Molly as she heads to the gate where she can apparate. </p><p>Molly shivers again and Brooklyn, unconsciously, puts his hand around her waist and squeezes, hoping to instill some warmth into her. He freezes for a second when he realizes what he’s done, but relaxes as Molly, unconsciously, leans into his side. And maybe he’s imagining it, but he swears that she lets out a small sigh of contentment as he rubs his hand up and down her coat.</p><p>Will glances at his coworker’s hand, but makes no comment. “I haven’t been to a Quidditch game in ages, but my wife’s coworker had extra tickets, so I couldn’t resist and roped these two to come with me. What a game! You’re fantastic!”</p><p>Brooklyn pipes in, “It really was fun to watch. You’re incredible.”</p><p>Molly waves them off, “Thank you guys for coming. I’m really glad you guys had fun.” She blinks rapidly. It’s really fucking cold out. “Though I really wish there was a heating charm around the whole stadium.” Everyone chuckles and realizes that the weather will probably get worse if they stay out here much longer. </p><p>Taylor smiles, “Well, we all ought to be heading back soon so we don’t literally freeze our toes off.” With that, they all start walking towards the gates, where the apparition site and the floo fireplace is. Molly and Brooklyn have broken apart, but his hand immediately goes to the middle of her back when she stumbles on a slippery patch of grass. She shoots him a look and he can’t help but smirk. </p><p>They all stop in front of the floo and Molly smiles in appreciation, “Again, thank you so much for coming. I’ll see you at the office sometime. You guys go first.”</p><p>Will nods, “Of course.” Taylor just smiles, tucking her face into her coat as she steps into the fireplace. After she vanishes, Will gestures towards Molly, “You can go, Brooks.”</p><p>Brooklyn hesitates, “I actually have to ask Molly something, so you can go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Will raises an eyebrow but says no more, shooting one last smile to Molly before stepping in the fireplace. </p><p>And then there were two. </p><p>Molly steps in front of him, looking up, hiking her bag up on her right shoulder. “So?”</p><p>Brooklyn shoves his hands in his pockets, the urge of wanting to tuck a loose piece of Molly’s wavy hair behind her ear annoyingly strong. “I was thinking of trying a new recipe tonight, one that my sister sent me when I first moved over here. To give me a taste of home, she said.”</p><p>Her lip quirks up, “An American recipe, then?”</p><p>He nods, smiling. “Indeed it is.”</p><p>“And it’s a recipe for two?”</p><p>He steps closer confidently, and Molly catches a whiff of...pine? That’s a new one. Or maybe she’s only paying attention now. “It could be. Lindsey mentioned you have a day off tomorrow. I understand if you wanna just go home, but I also have every sort of tea you could imagine-”</p><p>“Do you have beer?”</p><p>A look of surprise comes over his face, before it transforms into amusement, “I do.”</p><p>Ignoring her own warning words stirring inside her brain, she smirks. “Lead the way.”</p><p>Brooklyn steps into the fireplace and gets whisked away. Molly waits a couple seconds before going in herself and taking a deep breath, before being engulfed in flames. When she lands, she blinks for a couple of seconds to adjust her version. Brooklyn is there and offers a hand, which Molly takes as she carefully steps over the hearth. She shrugs off her coat and places it and her bag over a nearby chair as he whispers “lumos,” lighting up the room. She looks around as he goes to the kitchen, opening the fridge.</p><p>For her whole life, Molly’s been used to messy teenage boys and their living spaces. Though Brooklyn isn’t as neat as Al, she’s impressed. Everything is mostly made of ebony wood, from the shelves to the tables. There are hints of whites, browns and grays in the couch, lamp, blankets and pillows. Though it’s clear that Molly has made more of an effort to make her place more homey, the place looks well lived in. It suits him. Minimal. Soft. Dashing. She wanders over to the kitchen as Brooklyn passes over a beer. She nods in thanks as she takes a long sip, placing her elbows on the counter. </p><p>He raises an eyebrow, taking a shorter sip himself. “Long day?”</p><p>She studies him for a second, and even with the teasing smile on his lips, his eyes are warm. And maybe it’s the kindness and sincerity in his brown eyes that makes her lose her usual composure, because truth be told, she’s exhausted. She sighs and closes her eyes, “I haven’t had a second to breathe in weeks.” A wave of concern flashes across his face, especially seeing her shoulders deflate and seeing her take another long sip of her beer, staring straight ahead at nothing. It’s such a contrast to the girl he saw just a couple hours ago, ready and determined to face anything thrown her way. </p><p>He placed his hand over the back of her hand, offering a small squeeze. “Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“Not particularly,” She shakes her head, looking at him with a small smile. “You did promise me dinner, though.”</p><p>Brooklyn puts his beer down and reaches into a cupboard to retrieve a blue binder, “How does Chicken Fried Steak sound? We can make some gravy and mashed potatoes too.”</p><p>She blinks, “I don’t know what any of that means, but it sounds lovely.” Molly comes over next to him, reading over his shoulder at the recipe. </p><p>He catches a hint of her rose perfume that makes him stall for a second, before he shoots her a smirk, “Shall we?”</p><p>Contrast to the last time they cooked together, Molly and Brooklyn work quietly. Well, it’s quiet until Molly’s eyes lighten up at the sight of a speaker. With pleading eyes, he laughs, giving her permission to put her music on. Suddenly, Brooklyn’s kitchen is filled with music he doesn’t necessarily know, but as he listens to Molly’s soft humming as she rummages around his kitchen like it’s her second home, he realizes that she could be humming along to anything and it would still sound beautiful.</p><p>“You have a decent voice,” He remarks. </p><p>She turns around after she gathers some of the seasonings, “Nah, James is the best singer in the family.” Her eyes land on the guitar Brooklyn has in his living room. “Can you carry a tune?”</p><p>He shrugs, “I’m alright, I guess.”</p><p>“Well, you’ll have to show me later,” She gives a tight lipped smile before turning back to marinating the steak. Besides short remarks about the recipe and questions about where things are, the two continue cooking in a relatively comfortable silence. The first time a song comes on that they both know, Brooklyn joins in with the quiet singing. Molly looks up in surprise, to which he pretends to not notice, because he’s better than alright. His voice is the most soothing thing Molly’s heard. She decides not to comment, and forces her focus back on the recipe.</p><p>After about half an hour, the steak is finally put in the oven, and the mashed potatoes and gravy are on the stove to make sure they don’t get cold. They both grab their beers before settling down on the couch, each on the opposite side.</p><p>“You’re quite amazing,” Her head whips towards him, a questioning look on her face. He leans forward, “Seeing you out there, doing your thing. It’s an extraordinary thing to witness.” With anyone else, she would wave them off casually, but Brooklyn wasn’t anyone else, and she can’t help but smile slightly at the compliment, looking down at her hands. She doesn’t say anything in response, but she doesn’t need to.</p><p>“Sing something for me?”</p><p>He hesitates for a moment, but honestly, it’s been awhile since he’s picked up his guitar. “Any particular request?” He lets Molly ponder as he grabs his guitar carefully before returning to the couch. </p><p>“Whatever you’d like,” She takes a sip of her beer before setting it down on the table, tucking her feet underneath herself, leaning her chin on her hand. Molly’s eyes flit across his face as he quickly adjusts the tuning of his guitar quietly, scanning his mind for a song that he knows relatively well. His lips are slightly parted, adjusting the capo to the right position and mindlessly strumming the strings so his calluses become familiar with the feeling again. For a fleeting moment, Molly lets her heart soften just the slightest bit for the man in front of her who is nothing but kind. Everything but harsh. Never pushy, but always consistent in his comfort. </p><p>As he starts strumming louder, beginning a song that sounds eerily familiar, she lets herself get lost in his calming voice. It reminds her of that first sip of hot tea with honey on an icy cold morning. The comfort of an iced drink going down your throat on the hottest summer afternoon. She wonders if he’s had any training before, because there’s no way someone can have that much natural talent. For 3 minutes and 50 seconds, he sings of snowflakes, cups of tea and eyes turning from green to gray, and Molly can’t take her eyes off of him, as he closes his own and loses himself in another world.</p><p>When he strums the last chord and opens his eyes again, Molly can only stare at him with a small smile. She wonders where he went for those 3 minutes. She can only hope that it was somewhere peaceful. Maybe somewhere he would bring her someday.</p><p>“Be careful,” She grins and he feels his heart jump to his throat. “You keep singing like that and I’ll be asking you to sing everytime I see you.”</p><p>He sets his guitar back against the stand and shrugs, “I wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>Her eyes flickered over to a still photograph that’s framed on the table next to the couch, “May I?” He nods, and she picks up the photograph to observe. Brooklyn, two other girls, an older woman and an older man are at a beach. The ocean behind them is strikingly clear, complimenting the washes of pink, orange and red that only occur during a stunning sunset. Everyone is smiling at the camera, and unlike many of these kinds of family photos, the smiles are genuine.</p><p>“My sisters and parents,” Brooklyn sits down next to her and points to each person as he describes them. “Christina is the blonde one, or Christy, we call her. My parents adopted her when I was only 3, and I remember it being one of the best days of my life. She’s a Healer in New York. That’s my mom in the white sweater. She writes for a muggle newspaper in Georgia. My dad used to work at MACUSA, for the Major Investigation Department, and my other sister, Alexa, was going into her 4th year at Ilvermorny.”</p><p>“Was?” She whispers.</p><p>Brooklyn brushes his thumb over Alexa’s face, “My dad and Alexa passed away three years ago. They got ambushed. It was that whole thing with-”</p><p>“Travers,” Molly finishes in sadness. He breathes out, nodding. Of course she would know. And even though her uncle defeated Voldemort on that day in May, that doesn’t mean that all of his views died with him. It was big news when an ex-Death Eater attacked a highly respected member of MACUSA and his daughter. </p><p>“He was taking Alexa out on a father-daughter day in Washington D.C. on a day off. Witnesses say that he stood his ground for as long as he could and told Alexa to get away, but…”</p><p>She reaches out to squeeze his hand, “I’m really sorry.”</p><p>Brooklyn blinks,“I met your Uncle Harry a couple days after that. Super nice man.” Molly recalls her uncle getting called away to the US for a couple of weeks to work with MACUSA, who ended up tracking down Travers and putting him to prison for the rest of his life. </p><p>But if Molly knows anything, nothing, even the harshest of punishments, can make up for the death of a loved one. </p><p>Brooklyn stares at the photo thoughtfully. He misses his father and sister everyday. Nothing can replace an approving nod and small smile from his Dad or the tinkling of Alexa’s laugh and the way she always burrowed herself into him during a hug. Everything he does is in their memory and honor.</p><p>He smiles faintly, “She was only 14, Alexa. She had dreams of working with dragons in Romania, which I always told her were ridiculous and that she would get herself killed. She was reckless like that.” He suddenly stops and shakes his head, “I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”</p><p>The oven beeps, and Molly suddenly gets an idea. She stands up and offers a genuine smile, “How about you tell me about her and the rest of your family over dinner, and I can tell you how mad it is being the oldest cousin out of 12?”</p><p>He places the photo back down on the table, and stares at the hopeful look on her face, “That sounds lovely.” Somewhere in the back of his mind, one lingering thought comes and refuses to leave.</p><p>He could see that smile for the rest of his nights and never get tired of it.</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>My dearest Molly, <br/>The entire Gryffindor common room just listened to your game against the Tornadoes, and I just know, even without seeing your face, that you were definitely kicking ass. I can’t wait to see your game over Christmas break! I’ve missed watching you play.</p><p>Before you ask, because I know you will, 7th year is going great! Gryffindor’s team is looking absolutely amazing and will definitely crush your alma-mater. Classes are alright; NEWT level DADA is absolutely horrible, and Ted being the professor doesn’t even fix the fact that I will probably fail. Though you know Rose won’t allow that to happen. She’ll force coffee down my throat to ensure that I study.</p><p>Speaking of Ted, he mentioned that you’ve been seeing someone?? What the fuck is that about? I thought you swore off any means of a relationship the second you went pro? And I hear he’s a lawyer? Typical that you would chummy up with someone who is probably just as smart as you. If this “Brooklyn” guy is real, he better be coming to New Years. That’s an official invitation, since you’ll argue that he can’t come because he’ll be “crashing.” And since the shindig is at the Potters’ this year, Al, Lily and I are extending the invitation to him. We need to see who has actually wormed their way into your heart and has brushed off all your death glares.</p><p>Oh! I also heard you’re coming to Hogwarts for the finale of the Magical Voice, so I guess I’ll see you then. I hope you enjoy my mediocre singing and your sister’s amazing dance skills. Can’t wait!!</p><p>With all the love,<br/>James</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi there!!</p><p>i am back with a chapter that is longer than i anticipated, but i hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Writing this story has been a source of therapy for me during this time, and I hope it brings you even just a little bit of joy, no matter how you're feeling.</p><p>i had intended to make Molly a lover of letters at the start of this story, but forgot about it the last couple of chapters, so I hope you enjoy James' letter to Molly! they're not necessarily essential to the plot, but i hope they give an insight into Molly's character a bit more. also, if you're wondering why the "Magical Voice" is a thing or that I've mentioned Crystal Malfoy, an OC, in previous chapters, it's because this story originally started as a spin off, but i lost drive with that one and continued with this one instead, and i'm not  content with letting that one go quite yet, but if ANYTHING is confusing and you want clarification on something, please just let me know!</p><p>the song, if you're interested, that Brooklyn sings is "Wake Me Up" by Ed Sheeran, which is one of my all time favorites. i don't own it in any way. ed is a genius.</p><p>ANYWAYS if you read through that really long author's note, shoutout!! as always, thank you for reading. if you want to talk about anything, story related or not, please don't hesitate to leave a comment! or come find me on tumblr dancekatrina13.tumblr.com!! what was your favorite part? line? is the slow burn killing you too? let me know!!</p><p> </p><p>with love,</p><p>katrina xx</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A piece of hair falls in front of her face, and Brooklyn carefully tucks the strand of hair behind her ear, and all Molly can do is flicker her stare between his lips and his eyes. He steps closer, arm slowly falling back to his side, and her dress catches the limited light in the room, bringing him a sense of deja vu.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>December 31, 2023</p>
<p>~*~*~</p>
<p>“Brooklyn is coming tonight, for sure?”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes, fiddling with her rings, “Yes, Lu. He’s literally meeting us here any minute now.”</p>
<p>Lucy, who is putting finishing touches on her makeup in Molly’s room, makes eye contact with her sister through the mirror, “I can’t wait to finally meet him.</p>
<p>“Be nice,” Molly warns, to which Lucy simply huffs. Because Lucy is always nice, despite what her family says.</p>
<p>With a couple games, visiting Hogwarts to see her sister and spending Christmas with her family, it’s been a busy, but fulfilling couple of weeks for Molly. Being back inside the Great Hall was thrilling, and the school put on a fantastic finale of their inaugural “Magical Voice” project, where dancers like her sister dazzled the stage along with amazing singers like James and Crystal (who at this point, considering the amount of times she and her twin have come to family gatherings, is basically family anyways) providing the soundtrack. Adorning the walls of the room were parchments filled with poetry and stories that Molly only wishes she could write. It was an explosion of the arts that she so desperately wishes had started when she was in school.</p>
<p>Christmas Eve is always spent with the entire family at the Burrow, since it’s one of the few times that everyone is home. Nana Molly leads the preparations for a fabulous dinner that leaves everyone feeling stuffed, and the general cheer of Christmas is relished and celebrated in the bubble of the family as they sit by the Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa and basking in the familiarity of each other’s voices and laughs. Because there are too many members of the family to get a gift for everyone, each year, everyone is responsible for one person, which is assigned randomly by Ginny. Though, despite that, Nana Molly still knits a sweater for every single family member. Some things never, and shouldn’t ever, change.</p>
<p>New Years with the Weasleys is a completely different story. The parents, too tired for all the celebrations their younger kids love, leave their children to make their own plans with the following rules. Each person is only allowed to bring one person outside of the family, whichever group of children is hosting is responsible for anything that goes wrong, everyone looks out for each other, and lastly, everyone must sleep over. The last rule was made once alcohol started playing a role in these parties.</p>
<p>New Years is always a time that Molly enjoys, especially now that she doesn’t see her cousins on a daily basis anymore. Yet, as she smoothes down her dress, she feels a bit nervous. </p>
<p>Lucy raises an eyebrow as she puts an earring in, “If you’re worried about how you look, you don’t need to.”</p>
<p>“I’m not worried,” Molly replies back automatically, running her hand through her hair, which was down and wavy. Not overdone. “We’ve switched wardrobes tonight.”</p>
<p>Lucy laughs, agreeing with her older sister. Both sisters don’t love dressing up, since school and the pitch don’t require anything a step above casual, but New Years is different, even though it’s just with family. But even then, Molly rarely chooses a dress and heels for this particular night, but she has this time. For Christmas, she was given a dress that Vicki herself designed. Navy blue, with stripes donned in silver glitter, sleeves running right past her elbows with a skirt that fans out the slightest bit when she twirls before settling down to the top of her knees. When she walked out of her bathroom, Lucy grinned and shoved a pair of silver heels in her direction. Molly had looked at them with disgust, but relented, knowing that flats wouldn’t pair will well with this outfit.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Lucy is wearing an outfit that Molly’s pretty sure she’s worn in years past. She has on black slacks with a long sleeve velvet button up, with her sleeves expertly rolled her to her elbows. As Lucy slips on her black flats, Molly blinks. She finds it hard to believe that little Lucy will be graduating in the spring and if all goes well, will be dancing around the world with Steps, Britain’s most prestigious dance company. She has her final audition in a couple of weeks, but no matter the result, Molly will be proud of her nonetheless. </p>
<p>Lucy finishes getting ready, and shoots one last smile to herself in the mirror, before her and Molly venture into the living room, “Have you warned him?”</p>
<p>“About what?”</p>
<p>“The fact that he’s going to be meeting everyone,” Lucy gives her a knowing look.</p>
<p>Molly waves her off, “He’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>“You do know that everyone thinks you two have something going on, right? Even Hugo thinks so, and you know he hates all of the talk.”</p>
<p>Rolling her eyes, Molly pours herself and Lucy a cup of tea, Lucy’s being green tea and Molly’s being Earl Grey. “Exactly how much time do you spend gossiping about my life over at Hogwarts?”</p>
<p>Lucy raises an eyebrow, taking a sip of her tea, “You know what’s interesting? James didn’t even have to fight you that much to get you to invite him.”</p>
<p>“I mean, he just came back to London yesterday, and he said he didn’t have concrete plans anyways,” Molly shrugs before glaring at her sister. “If I hear any of you guys being annoying-”</p>
<p>She doesn’t get to finish her sentence because her fireplace comes alive, which means Brooklyn will be in her living room in about three seconds. Lucy places her empty cup in a sink as Molly downs the last of her tea, slightly burning her tongue in the process. </p>
<p>Brooklyn appears, quickly brushing soot out of his hair. He shoots a winning smile that even Lucy, ever the stoic Slytherin, slightly smiles at. “Hi, sorry. I’m kind of a mess.”</p>
<p>Molly snorts, unabashedly raking her eyes up and down to take in his outfit. A simple white button up, untucked and partially unbuttoned at the top, paired with black jeans and brown ankle boots. “You got that right.” She walks until she’s only a couple inches in front of him, rises up on her tiptoes, and fixes his collar. She tries to ignore the way her hands shake, especially as she sneaks a peek at him to see that he already has his eyes on her, a smirk playing at his lips. </p>
<p>She backs away after straightening his collar, “Better.”</p>
<p>He grins, “Thanks. You look beautiful, by the way.”</p>
<p>“Save your flattery for someone else who will actually appreciate it,” She deadpans, attempting to hide her smile. They both turn to Lucy, who has an inquisitive look in her eye. “This is Lucy, my sister. She’s graduating from Hogwarts in the spring.”</p>
<p>He shakes her hand firmly, before pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek. “It’s very nice to meet you, Lucy.” Lucy doesn’t respond, but she offers a small nod.  </p>
<p>Molly gestures towards his bag, “You have everything you need?”</p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow, “Do I need anything else besides pajamas, a toothbrush and a bottle of whiskey?”</p>
<p>Lucy lets out a laugh, “What kind of whiskey?”</p>
<p>He pulls out a red bottle that both girls gape at, “One of the muggles’ finest creations.”</p>
<p>Lucy whistles, “If that stuff goes anywhere near Louis, we’re done for.”</p>
<p>Brooklyn looked at Molly, an unsure look in his eyes, “On second thought, I’m not gonna be able to remember everyone’s names if I drink anything besides water tonight.”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes, “You’ll be fine. I’ll help you out. It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.” She turns to Lucy, who has their shared overnight bag in her hand, “Got everything?”</p>
<p>Lucy nods, and Brooklyn gently takes the bag from her hands, “I got it.” Lucy opens her mouth to protest, but decides to keep it shut as he smiles genuinely.</p>
<p>Molly gestures to her sister, “You go first. I’ll go last to ensure that Brooklyn doesn’t fuck up.”</p>
<p>He looks at Molly with an incredulous look, “I’m hurt!”</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes, “Go, Lu.” Lucy chuckles before stepping into the fireplace and shouting “Potter Manor,” before vanishing. Molly turns to Brooklyn with a smirk, “Last chance to back out.”</p>
<p>On one hand, maybe he should take the chance to back out, Brooklyn thinks. He’s about to meet one of, if not the most, famous family (well, some of them) all at once as Molly’s...friend? He’s not stupid. He’s sure that they’ll be cordial, but he still feels some need to prove himself to them. </p>
<p>It’s like Molly sees the slight apprehension on his face, because the smirk falls from her face. “I promise you, my family’s incredibly nice, especially if there’s alcohol in their systems.” She nudges him with her hip, “They’re nicer than me.”</p>
<p>At that, Brooklyn lets out a chuckle. He leans down and gingerly kisses her cheek, “Not exactly setting a high bar there, Molly.”</p>
<p>She shoves him away, though not unkindly, “Get in the fireplace, idiot.” He chuckles before stepping into the fireplace. After he disappears into the flames, she waits for a minute before going in herself. The Potters’ coat room appears, but no one is in the room. Molly fixes her hair as she follows the sound of voices. She stops short at the sight in the Potter kitchen, where Al, James, Lily, Dominique, Rose and Louis are greeting Brooklyn. She stays still and observes as Brooklyn greets Lily the same way he greeted Lucy in her living room, with a warm handshake and a friendly kiss on the cheek. Molly feels a rush of gratitude toward her sister, who is helping Brooklyn with introductions with an easy smile on her face.</p>
<p>She can tell her family is genuinely taken aback and even relishes in Brooklyn’s natural charisma. If she hadn’t taken a liking to him these past couple of months, she would definitely be annoyed by how seemingly easy he fits in with the people she adores. Once Brooklyn pulls out the bottle of whiskey from his bag and Louis practically lights up in excitement, she knows that she’ll soon have pleas to bring him to every family event.</p>
<p>“Molly Weasley!” She whips around to see a tipsy Fred glide into the room. “Don’t you look stunning?” His loud voice gathers the attention of the whole room, and Molly scowls at him.</p>
<p>“If I don’t have a beer in my hands within 15 seconds, I will shove my heel up your throat.” She says evenly, making everyone else chuckle. </p>
<p>James walks forward, shoving a bottle of beer against her hands with a wink. “You know, Mols. That temper is gonna bite you back in the ass one day.”</p>
<p>Fred cackles, “He’s right! I just told you that you look beautiful and you respond with harsh fire?” He looks over to Brooklyn, who is staring at the exchange with interest. “I surely hope your friend here knows exactly the person he’s decided to associate with.”</p>
<p>Molly suppresses an eye roll as she backs up next to Brooklyn, who has a glass of champagne in his hand that Al had brought him. “This is Brooklyn. And he’s probably more intelligent than me so don’t try anything stupid.”</p>
<p>Brooklyn shakes Fred’s hand firmly, before raising an eyebrow at Molly, “Smarter than you? I wasn’t aware we were in the complimenting stage of our friendship now.”</p>
<p>James snorts as Fred beams, “I like him. He can stay.” Molly actually rolls her eyes this time. </p>
<p>Brooklyn shifts his eyes between Molly, James and Fred, smiling slightly when Fred nudges her shoulder with a smile and James presses a kiss to her cheek, to which she tries to hide her grin at. He’s never seen her so at ease, but he supposes that family brings that out of people. And as she wraps Lily in a tight hug, he starts to understand where her motherly tendencies come from. </p>
<p>Lucy and James steer Brooklyn away to other areas of the house where the rest of the family is lingering. Molly falls behind them, observing the way James, ever the outgoing one, swings his arm around Brooklyn’s shoulder in a brotherly manner. </p>
<p>Lily comes up beside her oldest cousin, “Where did you meet him? He’s cute!”</p>
<p>Molly gives her a look, “He’s also way too young for you, Lil.”</p>
<p>“Ha!” Lily smirks deviously (Gryffindor through and through, that girl is). “Even if he wasn’t, I would never steal him away from you.”</p>
<p>Molly hisses under her breath, “He’s not-”</p>
<p>“Are we talking about how attractive Brooklyn is and that if he didn’t already have the heart eyes for Molly I’d definitely be going for him?” Dom comes up on the other side of Molly with a cup of water in hand. Luckily, Brooklyn is distracted and focused on a conversation with Ted and Vicki so he can’t hear Molly’s cousins speaking of him on the other side of the room. </p>
<p>“Dom!”</p>
<p>The redhead laughs, eyes wide and brilliant, as she adjusts her jeans. “What? Come on, I’m not wrong. He’s gorgeous, he’s a gentleman and he clearly likes you.”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes, “We’re just friends.”</p>
<p>“Uh huh,” Lily nods, unconvinced. “But you like him.” When Molly glares at her, Lily rolls her eyes. “I’m just saying. You wouldn’t bring anyone else to a family party on New Years Eve if you didn’t care about him somewhat.”</p>
<p>“Caring about someone and liking someone are two different things.”</p>
<p>“That’s fair,” Dom adds. “Well, if you’re not going for him, let me know.” With a wink, she goes to mingle with other family members, missing Molly’s scowl. Lily raises an eyebrow at the reaction, because Molly never reacts to those kinds of comments, usually choosing to either ignore or roll her eyes. Never a scowl. </p>
<p>Molly shakes her head quickly, before turning to Lily with an amused look. “How much have you had? Your whole face is red.”</p>
<p>“Not that much,” Lily lies, ducking her head, waiting for the lecture. </p>
<p>Molly chuckles, used to every single one of her younger cousins going through this at 14. “Lil, it’s fine. It’s good to know your limits, though don’t expect me to be consoling you if you start puking.” </p>
<p>Lily beams and sways, “It’s good to see you, Mol.” She loops her arm through her older cousin’s. “Let’s go say hi to everyone.”</p>
<p>~*~*~</p>
<p>The night goes on, as all of the family and their friends gather in different areas of the house. Some are playing pong in the heated back porch, some are gathered around the firepit outside and others are lingering around. Albus Potter, who has been jumping around to each relative and catching up with them, excuses himself and goes into a quieter room, wanting to take a moment for himself.</p>
<p>Turns out he won’t be receiving that quick moment of quiet, as he stops short at the sight of his oldest cousin, nursing a glass of champagne. </p>
<p>Molly visibly lights up, “Hey Al!” She nods knowingly, “You were looking for a place of peace and quiet among our crazy relatives, weren’t you?”</p>
<p>He shrugs, “Maybe, but this is a pretty good alternative.” He nudges her hip with his. “I wish you still went to Hogwarts. It’s weird not seeing you around anymore.”</p>
<p>“It’s been almost two years, Al.”</p>
<p>“I know, I know.” He rubs the back of his neck, “I just miss seeing you around all the time. Plus, the Quidditch rivalry isn’t as fun when I don’t have to constantly watch my back in case you chuck a Bludger in my direction.”</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes, “That was one time.” Softening her gaze, she looks up at Al. “I know what you mean though. I miss seeing all of you around. It’s weird not being bombarded in the hallways at least twice a day by one of you guys.”</p>
<p>“Do you miss it?”</p>
<p>She raises an eyebrow, sipping her champagne, “Hogwarts?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Sometimes,” Molly admits. “Adulthood can be awfully lonely, but I’m happy where I’m at. The Harpies girls are great, I’m finally learning how to cook and I’m good.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t hurt that you’ve found other friends too.” Al casually glances his eyes towards the door into the living room, and Molly follows his gaze to see Brooklyn, Dom and Crystal laughing. The sight makes Molly involuntarily smile. When she turns back to Al, he has a curious look in his eye. “I was talking to him earlier.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Molly drums her fingers against the champagne glass.</p>
<p>“He’s a good guy. I can see why you’ve kept him around.”</p>
<p>“What is that supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>Al merely rolls his eyes, “Our family may be nosy as hell, and half the time they overreact and make assumptions that are simply wrong, but maybe they’re not this time.”</p>
<p>Molly’s immediate reaction is to get defensive, but she stops herself. This isn’t Lucy and her nosiness as her sister. This isn’t Kelley or Lindsey, with their friendly concern for their youngest teammate and her happiness. This is Al, the only person in the world who understands her better than she understands herself. She sighs and shakes her head, “Al, I can’t. With the League season and World Cup coming up and the lawsuit-”</p>
<p>“Have you seen the way he looks at you?” Al hastily interrupts.</p>
<p>Molly blinks, unimpressed, “If you’re talking about the way he literally stares at you when you’re talking, then yeah, I have. It’s a bit unnerving, if I’m honest.”</p>
<p>“It is,” Al admits, “But no, he looks at you...like…”</p>
<p>She downs the last of her champagne while waiting for her cousin to gather his thoughts. When he continues fumbling, she gives him a look, “Like what, Al?” </p>
<p>His green eyes pierce into her hazel ones, “Like the most beautiful sunset is occurring in your eyes.” He runs his hands through his hair, “I’m not pushing you to do anything. You know I wouldn’t. None of us would. But just from talking to him for a couple minutes, I can tell how much you mean to him. And seeing the way you looked at him while he was introducing himself to everyone, I can tell how much he means to you.”</p>
<p>She shrugs, “So what? He’s just a guy.”</p>
<p>“That’s exactly it, Mols.” Al heaves a sigh, “I can’t believe I’m actually about to say these words, but he’s clearly not just a guy.”</p>
<p>“What do you think I should do, Al?” She whispers, staring at her feet.</p>
<p>Al looks at his older cousin carefully. With every aspect of her life, from schoolwork to her career to what she was going to have for dinner that night, she’s always known what she wants, preferring to always give advice rather than ask for it. </p>
<p>He leans in with a warm smile, “Do whatever you want, Mol. And I mean it. What you actually want, not what you think others would want. Not what you think is best for your career. What you think is best for you.” With that, he walks into the other room, where Molly can hear the sound of Crystal’s laughter. Perhaps when her own head isn’t spinning, she’ll interrogate him about the person he looks at as if she’s the most beautiful sunset he’s ever seen.</p>
<p>“Everything alright?” Molly whips her head up to see Brooklyn approaching her, right hand in the pocket of his slacks and the other holding a beer bottle, a light smile gracing his lips. And for some reason, it seems even more blinding than usual. What you think is best for you. </p>
<p>She nods. “I’m out,” she gestures towards her empty glass. “Come to the kitchen with me?”</p>
<p>Brooklyn just lets her lead the way. She weaves herself around the kitchen with an ease that only an athlete can possess, her dress sparkling even though the only light source are the fairy lights and lanterns outside on the porch that are shining through the glass windows. </p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow as she pours herself a shot of vodka, “A bit late in the night for hard liquor, no?”</p>
<p>Molly snorts, “It’s not even midnight yet.” She holds up another shot glass, “Want one?” He nods, and she pours, before handing him his shot. “Cheers.” He hums before they both knock back the burning alcohol. Molly’s eyes clamp shut as she tries not to grimace, but Brooklyn, more used to the sensation of burning liquid, keeps his eyes open, eyes flitting to the way her lips latch onto the glass. </p>
<p>He shakes his head at himself; he needs to get it together.</p>
<p>She slams the glass down, “Fuck me.”</p>
<p>“It was your idea,” He snorts. </p>
<p>And he’s right, it was. Molly usually prefers to stay away from vodka or anything of that sort, especially around her family. But she needs a little liquid courage to be able to truly listen to Al’s advice.</p>
<p>New Years usually marks the start of something new, right?</p>
<p>She pushes herself up on the counter, careful that she doesn’t knock any glasses or bottles over. Brooklyn in turn comes to stand in front of her, leaning his back against the fridge. “I told you that you had nothing to worry about. My family likes you.”</p>
<p>He smirks, “Oh yeah?”</p>
<p>Molly shrugs, “I’m pretty sure Lily fell a little bit in love with you when you kissed her on the cheek. Though, her red face may also have been because of the firewhiskey she probably stole behind her brothers’ backs.”</p>
<p>Brooklyn throws his head back in laughter, “I’m surprised you’re not forcing her into a room to sleep it off.”</p>
<p>She places her hands besides her on the counter, head tilting to the side, “We’re at home around people we trust, so I’m not too worried. If she pukes, it’s a lesson learned.”</p>
<p>“Tough lesson for a 14 year old.”</p>
<p>Her breath catches when she catches a whiff of his cologne, “One day I’ll tell you about the Fourth Year Halloween Party Incident.”</p>
<p>He laughs breathily, “I look forward to hearing it.” A comfortable silence settles between the two, apart from the various noise of people in other parts of the house or outside and the music that’s playing faintly. A piece of hair falls in front of her face, and Brooklyn carefully tucks the strand of hair behind her ear, and all Molly can do is flicker her stare between his lips and his eyes. He steps closer, arm slowly falling back to his side, and her dress catches the limited light in the room, bringing him a sense of deja vu. </p>
<p>Something must change on his face, because she lets out a small chuckle. “What are you thinking about?”</p>
<p>He hesitates for a second, before deciding to just tell her the truth. “Do you know what this reminds me of?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>He steps even closer, putting his hands on her knees lightly. The air around them suddenly feels charged. Heavy. “The night we met.”</p>
<p>Even sitting down on the counter, she has to tilt her head up slightly to keep eye contact. “How so?”</p>
<p>He smiles, and she feels her throat tighten up, “Because I had no idea what I was signing up for.”</p>
<p>“And what exactly is it? That you’re signing up for?” She asks, and for the first time since he’s met her, her voice is unsteady.</p>
<p>The distance between them fades to the point where their noses are practically touching, and he visibly swallows, eyes steadily on hers, “You tell me.”</p>
<p>For someone who prides herself in holding it together most of the time, Molly Weasley finds herself coming undone when he looks at her like that. Like the most beautiful sunset is occurring in her eyes. And with that, she places her hands on his chest and meets her lips with his. </p>
<p>His eyes immediately shut as he kisses her back, tilting her chin up delicately with his right hand, while he places his other hand on her waist. Even though they haven’t done this before, it feels like they have. Maybe in another life. She tastes like summer: a combination of mint, her coconut chapstick and a hint of vodka. And when she removes her hands from his chest and wraps them around his neck, he deepens the kiss, planting both of his hands on her waist, thumbs moving in lazy circles against the glitter of her dress.  The feeling of her cold rings against his warm neck causes him to let out a sigh and he’s never felt so alive.</p>
<p>As he catches her bottom lip, Molly can’t help but pull him even closer, if that’s even possible. He tastes like winter: cinnamon whiskey, orange candy that she knows he always has in his pockets and a hint of chocolate.  His hands on her waist are so warm, and a flame ignites from her stomach all the way down to her toes and she’s never felt so wanted.</p>
<p>They pull away slightly to catch their breath, and he lifts a hand up to her cheek, thumb brushing over the edge of her parted lips, opening his mouth like he wants to say something. </p>
<p>“What?” Molly mutters.</p>
<p>“Nothing. You’re just really pretty.” And before she can say something witty back, he kisses her again, because now that he has a taste of how it feels to kiss her, he doesn’t think he could go without it for long. Molly lets out a little gasp at the sudden movement, causing Brooklyn to smile against her lips, balling her dress in his fists, inching to get closer and closer as she runs her fingers through his soft hair.</p>
<p>“Fireworks are starting in five minut-oh!” </p>
<p>They pull apart slowly at the sound of Roxanne, who is standing at the doorway of the room, eyes wide. Molly keeps her eyes on his, noting the way they gaze back intensely and adoringly, as if he’s savoring every part of her. </p>
<p>“We’ll be out in a second, Roxy,” She mutters, loud enough for her cousin, who is still staring wide-eyed, to hear. Molly briefly turns her head to nod at her cousin, who only blinks before walking out of the room. When Molly turns back to Brooklyn, she finds him still staring at her and she can’t help but smile.</p>
<p>She kisses him once more, quickly and sweetly, before straightening out his collar. “My family puts on quite a good firework show over the lake, so we probably shouldn’t miss it.”</p>
<p>“No, we shouldn’t,” He sticks out a hand to help her off the counter. When her heels touch the floor, she straightens her dress. She starts walking toward the porch door, but not before loosely interlacing her fingers through his and tugging at his hand. </p>
<p>If not for the guidance of her hand, Brooklyn would probably be tripping over himself right now as he tried to get himself together. He would blame the fuzzy feeling in his stomach on the shot of vodka, but he’s tired of kidding himself. Molly is shining, literally and figuratively, as she leads him onto the porch, where the rest of her family is waiting for fireworks to blast over the lake. No one spares them a look, except for Roxy, who’s on the other side of the porch snickering, and Louis, camera in his hand, who has an inkling that a beautiful photograph is coming and quietly walks to where he can’t be seen, dragging James along with him. </p>
<p>Molly leads them to a corner of the patio that’s less crowded, and places her hands on the wooden railing, staring straight out into the lake. She can pick out a couple of stars here and there and tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. Brooklyn comes up behind her, and Molly leans into him slightly. She closes her eyes with a small grin.</p>
<p>“Molly?”</p>
<p>She twists around to look up at Brooklyn, “Hm?”</p>
<p>He hesitates. Opening his mouth and closing it once, twice. Her eyes gaze into his, patient and waiting. They’ve crossed a line into a territory of intimacy now, and he’s not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line or misread anything.”</p>
<p>“With what? The kiss?” Molly asks, raising an eyebrow. He nods once, and she leans her back against the railing so she’s completely facing him. “I mean, I was one who kissed you first.” She looks down at her hands, suddenly timid. “Did I cross a line?”</p>
<p>Brooklyn lets out a deep breath. Well, he’s in too deep now to back out. “No.I just need to know if this was a one time thing.” </p>
<p>Molly bits her lip in thought. The alcohol had made her a bit more reckless, her usual calculated actions be damned, but did she regret it? Throwing their friendship (that was already tentative enough) into unknown territory had been all her doing when she kissed him. Even if she wants to double back now, it wouldn’t be the same. </p>
<p>“I don’t want it to be,” He looks at her wide-eyed, and she can’t help but chuckle. “Surprised?”</p>
<p>“Maybe that you’d come right out and say it, yeah.” He blinks, “I thought I would have to fight you a little bit.”</p>
<p>Someone starts counting down from 30, and Molly smiles, “Well, it’s a new year.”</p>
<p>He flashes a quick grin and her eyes soften, and for the first time, she doesn’t seem so much like an enigma to him. “You might’ve jumped the gun a bit back in the kitchen.” She raises an eyebrow in question. “The kiss,” he clarifies. He looks out into the lake, “Should’ve waited for midnight.”</p>
<p>She scoffs as Vicki screams “20” somewhere in the distance, “You should know by now that I’m not about the cliches.” He lets out a short laugh that makes her smile. They both don’t count down aloud, instead turning their attention to the impending firework show. Molly rests her elbows on the wooden railing as Brooklyn puts his hands on the railing around her in a way where her back is completely flush against his chest. He suddenly realizes what he’s doing and steps back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, but she pulls his hand back to the railing, not wanting to be away from his warmth yet. </p>
<p>When everyone around them screams as midnight hits, Molly can’t help but grin, staring up at the exquisite fireworks that her Uncle George had given Fred and James, who no doubt had spent most of their afternoon making sure everything was perfect. She jumps a little when a particularly large one flashes and leaves a trail of gold sparks in its wake, and she hears Brooklyn chuckle by her ear. </p>
<p>“The Weasleys put on quite a show.”</p>
<p>Molly rolls her eyes, “That’s our family for you. Overdramatic and extra.”</p>
<p>Brooklyn blinks, looking up at the sparkling sky. “When’s your next off day?”</p>
<p>“Wednesday, I think?” She stands up fully, not taking her eyes away from the show. “Why?”</p>
<p>He bites his lip, suddenly a bit shy. “I’d like to take you on a proper date, if that’s something you’re interested in.”</p>
<p>She turns towards him fully then, eyes sparkling. “I’d like that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” He grins, “Me too.” He really, really wants to kiss her, but her family is all around them and he’s not even sure what they are yet. So he grabs her hand and presses a kiss to her fingers instead, “Would you prefer Tuesday or Wednesday night?”</p>
<p>“Tuesday?” She says, blinking. No one has ever kissed her hand before. “I have a game, but it should be done around 6.”</p>
<p>“You don’t want to rest after the game?”</p>
<p>She shrugs, “I’ll have plenty of time to rest the day after.” Narrowing her eyes, she glares at him playfully, “Unless you’re thinking of forcing me to partake in physical activity for our date.”</p>
<p>He chuckles, “No physical activity, got it.”</p>
<p>She bites her lip, wanting to suppress her grin. “Happy New Year, Brooklyn.”</p>
<p>“Happy New Year, Molly,” He smiles winningly.</p>
<p>The firework show reaches its finale, and everyone cheers as the last blue sparks fade from the air and Molly lets out a breathless chuckle. She’s never been a person who believes in all the New Year stuff, like resolutions and all that, but as she looks at Brooklyn, who flashes another blinding smile, she can’t help but feel that 2024 is going to be a good year. Ted then comes up behind Brooklyn with a handshake and Vicki gives Molly a tight hug, with an excited squeal about how the new year is going to be great and Molly only laughs in glee at Vicki’s clearly intoxicated state. </p>
<p>Molly and Brooklyn don’t get another moment alone for the whole night, but as she leans her back against the couch in the spacious Potter living room later that evening, hands around a cup of hot cocoa in a t-shirt and shorts with almost everyone she cares about around her, she doesn’t dwell on it much. She’s 100% sober now, but as she listens to Crystal and Brooklyn’s soothing voices harmonizing together at the front of the room (James had pretty much dragged him off the couch as soon as everyone discovered that Brooklyn actually has a great voice), Molly can’t help but feel dizzy as they laugh at each other for flubbing up a harmony. He fits right into the group of people that Molly so fiercely loves, and she sends a brief wish to whatever spirit is above that this isn’t the last time she sees this sight.</p>
<p>~*~*~</p>
<p>The sun is starting to peek through the windows when Brooklyn wakes up. He blinks a couple times to gather his surroundings, and then it all rushes back to him. Meeting more people than he ever has at one time, a couple of shots, the kiss, the fireworks, a future date, singing in front of the fire with tired but content smiles, helping Rose and Molly create a gigantic pillow fort the size of the whole room where the whole family slept in.</p>
<p>As he sits up and rubs his eyes, he notices that he’s not the first one awake, but not the last one either, as he sees Hugo, Lily, Scorpius, Roxy, her friend Julianna (or girlfriend? Brooklyn still hasn’t figured that one out yet), and who he thinks is James still sleeping. He grabs his bag from the corner of the room and dazedly walks to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. After freshening himself up, he wanders over to the kitchen, where he can hear a multitude of voices.</p>
<p>The remainder of the Weasleys and company who aren’t sleeping are sitting or standing around the island, some looking a little more worse for than others (Brooklyn wonders in amazement on how Fred isn’t clinically dead right now considering the amount he drank last night). </p>
<p>He walks towards the kettle, where Vicki is pouring out multiple cups of beverages. She smiles tiredly as she sees Brooklyn. “Good morning. You want tea, coffee, or Louis’s famous cure for hangovers that tastes like the bottom of a shoe but is strangely effective? ”</p>
<p>Brooklyn chuckles, “Coffee would be great, thank you.” He blinks, looking around the room, as Vicki pours some steaming hot coffee into a mug. </p>
<p>“Molly should be back soon,” Vicki comments. “She went on a run.”</p>
<p>“A run?”</p>
<p>Vicki snorts, “Yeah, can you believe it? She goes on a run only on the days where she doesn’t have training or a game. Something about keeping in shape or something.”</p>
<p>Brooklyn takes a sip of the coffee, “Does she not get hungover?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Vicki snorts, leaning her back against the counter, bringing her own cup of tea to her lips. “The most drunk I’ve ever seen her was after graduation and yet she was the one taking care of all of us the next day.” Brooklyn hums, and Vicki stares at him. She sets her cup down on the counter, “I may be overstepping, but can I tell you something?”</p>
<p>“Anything.”</p>
<p>“She’s always handled everything herself, and most of the time she can. Merlin knows she’s one of the strongest people I know,” Brooklyn’s eyebrows raise as Vicki sighs. “Look, your relationship with Mols, no matter what it is, is none of my business.”</p>
<p>He leans back against the counter, “I asked her out on a date. She said yes.” Now Vicki’s eyebrows shoot up her forehead. “What?”</p>
<p>“N-nothing. It’s just…” Vicki closes her eyes for a second, getting a hold of her thoughts. Molly was right; Brooklyn’s eyes are so incredibly intense that even a part-Veela like her, who is used to all kinds of people coming up to her, has to gather her surroundings. He stares on patiently as she continues, “I’ve grown up with her. She’s determined, ruthless and stops at nothing. So, I guess, just keep that in mind when she tries to push you away. Because she will, whether she intends to or not.” Her usual warm eyes suddenly flash with protectiveness, “Again, none of my business what’s going on between you two, but as her cousin and friend, you can consider this a warning of sorts.”</p>
<p>Just as Brooklyn is about to ask a question, but the front door opens loudly, and Molly, clad in a tight gray athletic jacket and black leggings, hair pulled up and out of her face in a tight ponytail, bursts in, interrupting the quiet ambiance of the room. </p>
<p>“Mol, some of us are actually human and get hungover,” Lucy groans, burying her forehead in her hand. “Close the door gently, if you would.”</p>
<p>Molly simply closes the door more loudly than any normal person would, causing many to groan, as she practically skips over to Vicki and Brooklyn, tugging her earbuds out of her ear. “Are you making tea?”</p>
<p>Vicki nods, and as she’s about to take the kettle off the stove, Ted curses and runs to the bathroom. Vicki winces, “I should probably-”</p>
<p>“I got it,” Brooklyn smiles, nodding. With a grateful and quick smile, Vicki rushes off to tend to her hungover fiance as Brooklyn turns his attention toward Molly, carefully taking the boiling water off the stove. “Morning. How was your run?”</p>
<p>Molly lets her hair tumble down her shoulders, running a hand through them to unknot some of the waves, “Good, though the holidays definitely didn’t help with my fitness levels. Didn’t run as far as I usually do.”</p>
<p>He gives her a look as he opens up the cabinet, hoping to find the tea leaves. “I’m sure you’re fine.”</p>
<p>“And you? Sleep well?” Molly asks, helping him out by opening up the right cabinet.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” He hums, looking for the correct tea leaves. “We did a good job last night charming the fort. The pillows were the fluffiest things I’ve-”</p>
<p>“What are you doing?”</p>
<p>Brooklyn blinks, focusing on making sure the hot water stays inside the cup. “Pouring you tea?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t tell you what kind of tea I wanted,” She says, looking back and forth between the kettle and his eyes. </p>
<p>“Earl grey, right?” He chuckles. “I saw you having it at the Harpies Stadium, plus that’s the container of tea that’s the most empty in your cupboards.” He looks up, “Is that not your usual tea preference?”</p>
<p>“No, it is,” Molly replies. Here he is, his red flannel pants, white t-shirt and hair that clearly has only been brushed through with his fingers, standing here, a day after they kissed, knowing something as simple as her tea order.</p>
<p>Molly wants to kiss him senseless. </p>
<p>But there are too many eyes watching, so she settles by placing a quick kiss on his cheek (she’ll find out later that everybody saw that anyways) as he hands her the cup of tea, his eyes twinkling and her heart pounding.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi everyone!!</p>
<p>i hope you enjoyed this chapter. the world is still a bit in chaos right now, so if you seek a bit of peace and comfort like i do sometimes, i hope reading this provided some. </p>
<p>ill be honest, i have a basic outline for this story, but i (usually) don't plan many scenes out. i try my best to proofread and to make sense of little plot details, but if anything is confusing, please don't hesitate to ask!</p>
<p>thank you as always for reading. if you would like to chat, feel free to leave a comment or come hit me up at dancekatrina13.tumblr.com! they finally kissed!!!!!!!! but trust me, this is just the start for them. favorite line? scenes? anything you're excited for? i have come to love these characters like they're real people (and you could argue they are in a way, as almost every single characterization is based on someone i know in real life) and i hope you have too.</p>
<p>sorry for the long babble. thanks for reading!!</p>
<p>much love,<br/>katrina xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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